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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23730361">Hear Me Out</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/sincelight/pseuds/sincelight'>sincelight</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>EXO (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Age Difference, Cheating, Co-workers, M/M, Oh Sehun Being an Asshole</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 23:34:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>29,617</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23730361</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/sincelight/pseuds/sincelight</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sehun is a very pretty boy and Baekhyun can’t stop himself. But, sometimes you have to learn lessons the hard way. His manager Chanyeol is eight years older, and therefore, eight years wiser. He doesn’t judge Baekhyun for his mistake, but he does make him laugh.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Byun Baekhyun/Oh Sehun, Byun Baekhyun/Park Chanyeol, Lu Han/Oh Sehun</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>90</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>My first long fic in a very long time! I'm excited for this one a lot. It's very personal to me because it basically tells the story of the past year of my life, just portrayed by exo members lol. Poor decisions were made, and important life lessons were learned. No judging!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Baekhyun isn’t on campus, or home being mistreated by Jongin, he’s a cashier at a grocery store near to their shared apartment. He’s worked there a little over a year, made friends with a small group of choice coworkers, and absolutely hates his job. Old women with coupons frighten him more than any spider ever will, and it’s a known fact around the store that the older the woman, the bigger her rage when she’s told her coupon is, in fact, expired. He’s taken to just giving in to them to avoid the argument all together, because he knows calling a manager over will just end in the customer getting their way, and Baekhyun looking like an idiot that doesn’t know how to do his job. But, the pay is decent and the scheduling flexible, so he stays.</p><p>Mondays at the grocery store are usually pretty slow, especially during the late shift Baekhyun tends to work. The store is quiet, filled with a small number of customers, many of which are students from his university stocking up on ramen for the week. Mondays are easy, Baekhyun likes Mondays.</p><p>Fridays are a different story. The aisles are jammed with families, single mothers toting bratty children and screaming babies around, high students giggling as they decide between Dorito flavors, and everyone else buying their alcohol for the night and upcoming weekend.</p><p>Baekhyun leans forward, resting his chin on his open hand, and sighs. He hates Fridays.</p><p>He’s at the self-checkout today, manning the computer that controls each register’s screen. He’s been shifting his weight from one foot to the other for the past hour, grumbling to himself about how a multi-million dollar corporation can’t even get its employees a measly wooden stool to sit on. He has his phone on the counter in front of him, partially hidden under the screen on the podium, so he can scroll mindlessly through Facebook and occasionally read a paragraph of the eBook he has downloaded for one of his classes.</p><p>He keeps tugging at the collar of his dark work shirt because all three buttons are done and it’s choking him. And then, he’s wiggling in hopes of untucking his shirt some; management never used to care about dress code, but they’ve recently been cracking down on people. One manager even tried to tell Baekhyun he needed to dye his bright red hair to a natural color; he refused and the subject was never brought up again. Before he left for work today he’d held up the pair of work slacks his manager gave him and grimaced at himself in the mirror. He promptly shoved the slacks into the deepest depths of his closet and shimmied his way into his little black jeans instead. They’d just have to fire him; he’s already got his shirt tucked in, there’s no way he’s wearing ugly pants as well.</p><p>After a year and a half he’s learned to hide his annoyance when a customer needs help, but sometimes a small sigh or an eyeroll still slips out. The soft ‘excuse me’ in an unfamiliar voice has Baekhyun doing the slightest of eyerolls before he locks his phone and looks up.</p><p>“What can I help you w—”</p><p>The boy standing in front of him has Baekhyun stuttering over his words for a moment. Struggling to finish his sentence, he blinks at the beautiful boy, who Baekhyun now realizes is wearing a uniform matching his own, skintight black jeans included.</p><p>His brain pieces itself together finally, and Baekhyun grins, grabbing onto the edge of the desk to rock himself back and forth a bit. “You must be new,” he says in the flirtiest tone he can manage. “Baekhyun,” he says, pointing to his nametag before extending a hand for the boy to take.</p><p>“Sehun,” the boy says as he shakes Baekhyun’s hand. He clears his throat, “Um, the manager told me to come talk to you. She wants you to train me to work at the self-checkout.”</p><p>Baekhyun smiles and shoves his phone in his back pocket. “It would be my pleasure, Sehun.”</p><p> </p><p>“I met a cute boy at work today. His name is Sehun. Tall, handsome, beautiful, wonderful. Scary fierce eyebrows. Gorgeously bleached silver hair. The human embodiment of every wet dream I’ve ever had since the eighth grade.”</p><p>“Have a lot of those, huh?”</p><p>Baekhyun finishes untying his shoes and huffs, straightening himself up to glare at his stepbrother. Jongin, older by six years, looks up from his book to smirk; he’s spent years using Baekhyun to perfect his teasing skills and it’s so easy to rile his brother up.</p><p>With another heavy sigh Baekhyun flops gracelessly onto the couch beside Jongin and begins wiggling, writhing around until he jams his feet comfortably and warmly under his brother’s legs. He’s still glaring, it’s more of a pout now, but he for sure still looks a little angry.</p><p>“Why do you always gotta be like this?” He crosses his arms over his chest. “You can never just let me happily gush about anything. Always have to crush my spirit.”</p><p>Jongin rolls his eyes, but smiles, and shifts so that he’s more comfortable atop Baekhyun’s feet. “You make it too easy bro. I do it for the reaction and you’re so damn dramatic.”</p><p>“I’m telling mom to divorce your dad, I don’t want or need a brother anymore.”</p><p>Jongin throws his head back and laughs, reaches out to give Baekhyun’s shin a soft pat. “You’d miss me and you know it. Now, shut up and tell me about him.”</p><p>Baekhyun opens his mouth in excitement then snaps it shut. “You want me to keep this clean for your sake, or just go for it?”</p><p>Jongin shrugs, “Whatever makes you happy.” Baekhyun’s eyes light up and Jongin instantly regrets giving Baekhyun this kind of opening.</p><p>“He’s tall, blonde, crazy broad shoulders. His waist is—” His eyes roll back and he lets out a feral groan instead of finishing his sentence. “You know how I feel about legs, and his legs are just…oof, so long, so good in his tight jeans. And his ass, I wanna bite it.”</p><p>Jongin laughs at his brother. “You’re ridiculous, you know that?”</p><p>“Ya duh,” Baekhyun says, “ridiculously attracted to Sehun’s perfect, tight little body and his round, fat ass.” He sticks his tongue out and laughs when Jongin shoves him. He straightens himself up and crosses his legs. “But seriously though, he’s really cool. I trained him all shift and he’s not just super hot, he’s also smart and really funny.”</p><p>“You should go for it.”</p><p>“Can’t.” Baekhyun sighs and pulls his knees up to rest his chin on. He tips his head to the side and makes a face at Jongin.</p><p>“Why?” He raises a finger as soon as Baekhyun’s mouth opens. “If you start saying some dumb shit putting yourself down again, Baek, I swear to god I—”</p><p>“No, it’s just he has a boyfriend is all. So he’s just a view for me to admire.”</p><p>“Damn, I’m sorry.”</p><p>Baekhyun pouts and hums his agreement. “And, I only said that stuff that time because I was sad Yixing broke up with me.”</p><p>Jongin raises an eyebrow, “You said that you were hideous and no one would ever love you again because you’re ‘unlovable’.” He puts the last word in air quotes and gazes at Baekhyun, waiting for him to defend himself.</p><p>Baekhyun stands and rubs his stomach over his shirt. “I’m hungry, want a sandwich or something?” He strolls over to the kitchen and turns back to Jongin from the doorway. “I was just in a mood back then, okay?” He shrugs then smirks, uses his left hand to push his hair back. “I know I’m hot.”</p><p>Jongin groans and picks his book back up. “You’re so annoying.”</p><p> </p><p>As a child, Baekhyun was a little chubby and a lot shy. He had trouble making friends and, although his grades reflected incredible work, there was the ever-present note that ‘Baekhyun needs to participate more and interact with other students’. He tried his best, but he could never manage to connect with his classmates.</p><p>At age nine, Baekhyun’s mother brought home a boyfriend. Baekhyun was nervous around him, still young and unsure; he was two when his father had passed away so he didn’t know what to think of this man now spending days and even some nights in his home that was once just him and his mother.</p><p>Months of dating turned into a year, and Baekhyun was introduced to Jongin, the boyfriend’s son. Jongin was cool and older, sixteen years old with lots of friends and golden skin Baekhyun thought was pretty. He had a crush on Jongin for a while, would watch him in silence from the opposite end of the table during dinner. Or, from behind a tree when Jongin would come over to swim in the pool. Jongin was the reason Baekhyun found out what being gay meant, after a quick google search in the middle of the night to find out why a boy kept making his stomach feel weird.</p><p>And Jongin, he took to Baekhyun, becoming protective like a real older brother. If someone was rude, or simply looked at Baekhyun in a way Jongin didn’t like, they’d have to answer to him. Fortunately, but unfortunately for Baekhyun, bullying tended to happen often when he was young. Sure bullies would bring him to tears, but he could always rest assured that Jongin would be there to wipe them away.</p><p>By his last year of middle school, Baekhyun’s mother and Jongin’s father were married and they all lived together as one happy family. With the help of his big stepbrother Jongin, Baekhyun learned to be confident and sure of himself in a way he never had before. He could strike up conversations with strangers, make jokes in class; he could be himself without fear. All because of Jongin’s attention, care, and guidance.</p><p>In high school Baekhyun had fallen for a boy more suited to him, in his grade, and not his stepbrother. He was tall and handsome, an exchange student from China who spoke Korean well enough to become quick friends with Baekhyun. It was with this boy, Yixing, that Baekhyun would have his first date, first kiss, first everything. Baekhyun’s first love gave him his first heartbreak at the end of the school year when he returned to his hometown in China, never to be heard from again. It was a rough summer, but he made it through with little emotional trauma thanks to Jongin and his group of rowdy college friends that were all too eager to accept him into their social bubble as everyone’s favorite little brother. Sure it was weird sometimes, being around kids much older than him, but looking back Baekhyun has that summer to thank for shaping him into who he is today.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey Jong.” He waits for his brother to look up, once again reading his book. He tips it down and sighs before looking at Baekhyun. “Remember the summer I spent with you and all your frat boy friends?” Jongin doesn’t respond verbally, but motions for Baekhyun to continue. “Well like, now that I’m legal, do you think your friend Junmyeon would be into me?”</p><p>Jongin laughs, “I knew you had a crush on him then. We all thought so.” Baekhyun blushes, looks down to pick at a loose strand of fabric on the arm of the couch. “Don’t be embarrassed Baekie, you were like 16 then.” Baekhyun’s blush deepens. “Junmyeon is very straight, and very engaged to a smoking hot German girl. So, I’d have to say probably not.” He almost picks his book back up to begin reading again but pauses, quirks an eyebrow at Baekhyun. “Why though?”</p><p>Baekhyun shrugs. “I don’t know. I haven’t like, dated anyone since Yixing. So I was just, like, wondering. I guess.”</p><p>“You’re trying to get dicked down, huh?” Jongin bursts into raucous laughter as he watches the mortification bloom on his brother’s face. He’s not about to let this teasing opportunity pass. “What’s it been, Baek? Like, two full years since you’ve had sex?”</p><p>“Hey!” Baekhyun stomps his foot like a child, hands balled into fists at his sides. “It hasn’t been that long, okay!”</p><p>Jongin closes his book and sits forward on the edge of the couch; it’s not often he gets Baekhyun this worked up and flustered. “If you’re talking about that guy you were sleeping with that you said was really bad at sex, that doesn’t count.”</p><p>Baekhyun’s face turns an impossible shade of deep red; he looks moments from exploding. “I’m never telling you anything again! You’re so mean to me!”</p><p>Jongin jumps off the couch to chase Baekhyun as he storms to his room. He puts his hand up to prevent the door slamming in his face, and follows Baekhyun in. “Oh come on, you know I’m just messing with you.” He pulls Baekhyun into a hug that he only half-heartedly tries to shrug out of, and chuckles when Baekhyun quickly stops resisting with a sigh. “Come on, give me a smile.”</p><p>Baekhyun is glaring, glaring hard. Jongin has released him now and Baekhyun has his arms crossed in front of him, trying to look absolutely pissed off. He’s not though, and Jongin knows this; he knows his little brother could never actually be mad at him.</p><p>“Where’s that smile?” he asks in that annoying voice he uses only with Baekhyun.</p><p>Baekhyun purses his lips, crosses his arms a little harder. But in the end, he breaks and smiles like an idiot at his stupid, dumb brother. “I hate you,” he says through soft laughter.</p><p>Jongin ruffles his hair and smiles back at him. “Let’s go get a drink; I’m buying. Maybe I’ll wingman for you and score you a dick to suck.” Baekhyun whines pathetically and slaps Jongin across the back as they exit his room together.</p><p> </p><p>Sehun’s laugh is almost as attractive as his face, and that’s an idea Baekhyun never thought would pass through his head. Is it weird to be attracted to the way someone’s laugh sounds? Maybe, but he doesn’t care. Right now, Baekhyun is recapping the events of last night to Sehun. Sparing no detail in his many failed attempts to pick up cute guys at the bar with his mostly straight brother playing wingman for him. And, Sehun thinks it’s hilarious. He’s holding his stomach with both hands, eyes disappearing into tiny crescents. He throws his head back, laughing so loud a few customers at the self-checkout machines look their way. But Baekhyun doesn’t notice, he’s too busy gulping, sweating as he eyes Sehun’s exposed neck, watching him run his fingers through his beautiful, touchable hair.</p><p>“So tell me, what’s it like to actually have a boyfriend?” Baekhyun realizes how weird the question is as soon as he closes his mouth. Luckily, Sehun doesn’t appear to think so.</p><p>“Uh, well it depends on the boyfriend I guess. Mine is great.”</p><p>“How long have you guys been together?”</p><p>“Three years.”</p><p>Baekhyun can tell, by the look in Sehun’s eyes, that he’s absolutely head-over-heels in love with his boyfriend. It’s cute, but leaves a cold, jealous feeling in his chest. Not because he wants Sehun for himself, no, but he wonders what it’s like to have a relationship lasting that long. He smiles through Sehun gushing about how amazing his boyfriend, Luhan, is.</p><p>“That doesn’t sound like a Korean name.”</p><p>Sehun swallows the drink he was taking and nods. “He’s Chinese. I met him when I was studying abroad.”</p><p>“Oh, you went to China?” Baekhyun finds this conversation bringing up old memories. “My last…well, my only ex is Chinese. He broke up with me when he moved back to finish school at home.”</p><p>Sehun gives Baekhyun a cute pout and pats his shoulder. “I’m sorry.” Baekhyun waves it off, tells Sehun it was a long time ago. “I didn’t go to China, though. We met studying abroad in America. Only two Asian kids in the class so, naturally, we bonded. And then we bonded some more one night after a few drinks an older kid bought for us.” He winks and elbows Baekhyun’s ribs playfully. “Made my semester in America a little more eventful, if you know what I mean.”</p><p>Baekhyun can’t think of anything clever as a comeback, so he’s grateful when the new manager approaches to send him on his break. Sehun shoots him finger guns and laughs, and Baekhyun heaves a relieved sigh once his back is turned. Why the fuck does his happily taken coworker have to be so hot? It’s not fair.</p><p> </p><p>Sehun is a punishment from god, Baekhyun’s decided.</p><p>He tips his head, craning his neck as Sehun bends over, reaching down to pick up a box from the floor. The jeans he’s wearing today, on this glorious casual Friday, are tighter than usual, light-washed denim, and ripped to shreds down the thighs. But, Baekhyun’s not worried about Sehun’s wonderful sense of style right now, not when an ass like that is presenting itself to him. Not when the denim is shaping his ass into a perfect hold-able, squeezable, spank-able shape. And then, Sehun’s arms are flexing with the weight of the box, veins popping out on his forearms. Baekhyun bites into his bottom lip, fans himself with his hand. Is it hot in here? He gulps and does his best impression of someone not checking Sehun out when the blonde turns around with a wide smile.</p><p>Baekhyun makes a dumb ass noise that matches the dumb ass face he’s making. He would be embarrassed if Sehun we’re paying him any attention at all, but he quickly realizes that Sehun is, in fact, not smiling at him.</p><p>Sehun lets the box carelessly fall to the floor, and then he’s running with his arms spread wide. Baekhyun watches with a smile almost as wide as Sehun’s, as the boy runs into the arms of who he can only assume is Luhan.</p><p>“Oh my god, what are you doing here?” Sehun is shouting, causing a scene in the grocery store. “I thought you were in China until September?”</p><p>Luhan is beautiful, Baekhyun has to admit. He’s tall and slender, wrapped in clothing Baekhyun assumes must be expensive judging by the quality of the leather jacket he’s wearing, and his bone structure appears to be sculpted by Michelangelo himself. His hair is a shiny fuchsia undercut parted down the middle; Baekhyun can’t stop staring. He swears under his breath; he’ll have to ask Luhan for the business card of his plastic surgeon. Baekhyun grimaces at that thought and tells himself to be nice, to not be a judgmental asshole to someone he doesn’t even know. But god damn, Luhan is just too pretty and Baekhyun finds himself envious of every mirror ever given the pleasure of reflecting Luhan’s image.</p><p>“You must be Luhan,” Baekhyun says with a pleasant smile as he holds his hand out. “Sehun’s told me lots about you.”</p><p>Luhan pulls away from the tight hug he’s wrapped in to give Baekhyun a once over. He doesn’t smile, doesn’t take Baekhyun’s hand. “I don’t think Sehun’s mentioned you, you are?”</p><p>“This is Baekhyun,” Sehun says happily. “He’s my favorite coworker I was telling you about the other night.”</p><p>Baekhyun feels a sense of pride in that title. He’s Sehun’s favorite. Luhan looks displeased, or unamused. Maybe that’s just his face? Yeah, Baekhyun decides, it’s just his fierce, sharp-jawed, model like face. Either way, he doesn’t like the look he’s being given.</p><p>“Nice meeting you,” Baekhyun rushes out, then hurries off to pretend to check his schedule on the employee computers. He can hear the unmistakable sound of the two lovebirds kissing as he walks away.</p><p> </p><p>A bed is a wonderful thing. So cozy and warm, piled high with pillows and at least 6 different blankets because Baekhyun has a slight obsession and he always beelines toward the blanket aisle of any store because he has no self-control. His bank account may not like it, but he’s so comfortable right now wrapped up on his bed, it’s worth the cost.</p><p>Thursday is Baekhyun’s one true day off. The other being Tuesday, but that’s his designated laundry day, and he hates doing laundry to the point he’d rather be at work, so he doesn’t actually count it as a relaxation day.</p><p>So, it’s Thursday and he’s being lazy. He’s heard Jongin up and moving about the apartment, getting ready for work. He can tell when Jongin has stuffed himself into his corporate suit because he exits his room and closes the door with a sigh.</p><p>Baekhyun remembers a time, not long ago, when Jongin was happy to go to work. When Jongin would get up and sing and dance around the apartment, waking Baekhyun up in the process. They would eat breakfast together, chat a bit, and then go their separate ways. Baekhyun to class, and Jongin to his shift at the studio where he would teach little girls how to dance ballet. It’s a job Jongin was passionate about, but it didn’t pay the rent, so Jongin ultimately decided to put his unwanted business degree to use and get a miserable job in a high rise building in the city. He’s miserable, and Baekhyun knows this, and he’d give anything to be able to help his big brother fulfill his dreams.</p><p>With that thought in mind, Baekhyun rolls out of his cocoon of warmth. He tumbles onto the floor ungracefully and stumbles up onto his feet and out of his room, hoping to catch Jongin before he leaves for the day.</p><p>Jongin is sitting at the kitchen table sipping a cup of coffee. He looks uncomfortably stiff in his suit, but handsome nonetheless. Baekhyun smiles.</p><p>“Hey.”</p><p>Jongin looks up, surprised. “What are you doing up?”</p><p>Baekhyun shrugs. “Couldn’t sleep. Thought I’d come say hi before you left.” Jongin simply nods and continues his sipping. “Hey, Jongin? Why did you stop trying to be a dancer?”</p><p>“I—” Jongin looks up at Baekhyun over his mug, unsure of what to say. It’s been a very long time since anyone has brought this up to him, and he’d be lying if he said the reminder doesn’t sting a little. He sighs. “Because, it’s not a realistic job.” He places both palms flat on the table and shakes his head. “Dad— I wanted to grow up,” he corrects, “I wanted to be successful.”</p><p>Baekhyun stares at his brother for a moment, feeling sad for him. “Do you feel successful?”</p><p>Another sigh and Jongin curls his hands on the table, staring down into his mug. “When did you get so grown up, huh?” Jongin looks up and smiles, admiring the wise, caring man his little brother has grown to be. His smile falters, “I feel like a failure.” He looks down at himself. “I hate wearing suits. I hate doing paperwork. I fucking hate my job. It’s miserable.” He sighs again. “I’m miserable.”</p><p>“Why don’t you quit? Start dancing again?” Baekhyun’s heart hurts for Jongin. “You were so happy dancing.”</p><p>“It’s not that easy Baekie. I have you to take care of. I can’t just quit my job and go back to the studio. I can’t do that to you.”</p><p>“You don’t have to worry about me.”</p><p>Jongin’s head snaps up at that. “I know, but I do. You have nowhere to go if I were to lose this apartment, Baek. I’d never let that happen to you.”</p><p>Baekhyun chokes up at that, like he does every time he’s reminded of his parent’s disapproval of his sexuality, but he pushes the feeling aside because right now isn’t about him. He reaches across the table to take Jongin’s hand. “I don’t want you to feel like you have to protect me. I’m not a kid anymore, I can do that for myself now.”</p><p>Jongin stands and places his mug in the sink and turns to lean back on the counter. “You’re my baby brother, I’ll always protect you.” He grins and moves to ruffle Baekhyun’s hair. “Whether you like it or not.”</p><p>“I just worry about you,” Baekhyun says, bringing the conversation back to Jongin. “You did so much for me growing up, I just wanna return the favor. I want you to be happy.”</p><p>Jongin’s hand rests atop Baekhyun’s head and he pats a few times before squeezing his shoulder. “My sweet, sensitive Baekhyun. I want the same for you.” He hums and squeezes Baekhyun’s face like he used to do when he was a chubby little kid. “I’m gonna be late for work. I’ll see you later tonight.”</p><p>Baekhyun doesn’t want the conversation to end there, but he can tell Jongin is finished with it. He puts a smile on and jumps up to give Jongin a tight hug. “I’ll order a pizza for us.”</p><p>Jongin leaves and Baekhyun remains seated, staring at the ring Jongin’s coffee cup left on the table. He loves his brother more than anything in the world; Jongin is all Baekhyun has. Sure he has friends, but no one comes close to what Jongin means to him. It hurts to see Jongin feel so down, to hear his brother call himself a failure. Baekhyun leans back in his seat and stares up at the ceiling. Maybe Jongin needs more blankets on his bed to keep him extra warm at night.</p><p> </p><p>It’s another slow, slow Monday and Baekhyun has spent the last thirty minutes standing at his register, scrolling through his phone because there are absolutely no customers in the store. He’s asked his manager to let him go home early three times already, even tried giving her his cutest pout, but she is a strong woman and refused to fall for his manipulation. He groans and readjusts from standing straight to hunching over, resting his elbows on the cash register.</p><p>“Baek!” Sehun is standing four registers down, his hands holding tight onto a shopping cart full of go-backs. “Manager said to come help me put all this stuff away because you know where stuff is better than me.”</p><p>Baekhyun gives a quick look over to the new manager Chanyeol, making sure it’s really okay; he gets a small nod from him and doesn’t think twice before shutting his lane light off. He skips over to Sehun and grabs onto the opposite end of the cart.</p><p>“My savior.”</p><p> </p><p>They walk together through the store goofing off more than doing the actual job they set out to do. Sehun found a Pikachu hat at some point and has been wearing it for the past three grocery aisles, and Baekhyun can’t stop laughing every time he looks over at him.</p><p>“So, not to bring this up and put a downer on our fun but, Luhan was kinda—”</p><p>“Really hot,” Baekhyun finishes for Sehun.</p><p>Sehun laughs and agrees. “I mean yeah…he is. But, no, that’s not where I was going with this.” He runs a hand through his hair and looks away, missing the way Baekhyun bites his lip at the gesture. “I just wanted to say sorry for him being rude to you. He’s like…jealous.”</p><p>“Of me?” Baekhyun’s jaw drops, clearly shaken by the idea. Does Luhan not know what he looks like?</p><p>“No, like in general. He’s just a jealous, like, overprotective person, I guess. He doesn’t like when I talk to other guys.” He side-eyes Baekhyun quickly. “Especially cute guys. Like, he trusts me. That’s not the issue, he just—” Sehun sighs. “He just doesn’t like other guys getting close to me. I don’t know.”</p><p>Baekhyun gets that there’s a deeper issue to this conversation, a point Sehun is trying to make. But, all he can focus on is Sehun having just called him cute. He plasters a stupid smile onto his face.</p><p>“You think I’m cute, huh?”</p><p>Sehun chuckles and rolls his eyes. He pushes Baekhyun just hard enough to have him tripping over his own feet. “Oh, shut up. Don’t act like you don’t know you’re hot.” Baekhyun beams at the subtle teasing and laughs along with Sehun.</p><p>“Do you work tomorrow?” Sehun asks once he’s calm. Baekhyun is still struggling to compose himself, so he simply shakes his head. “What about Thursday?” Another shake of Baekhyun’s head.</p><p>“I always have Tuesday and Thursday off, why?”</p><p>Sehun pouts, fully pushes his bottom lip out and scrunches his eyebrows, and Baekhyun melts. “I have Wednesday and Friday off. I won’t see you until Saturday.”</p><p>“That’s sad,” Baekhyun pouts now too.</p><p>“You have Facebook?” Sehun asks, “Add me.” He pulls out his phone and opens his Facebook app and begins typing Baekhyun’s name into the search bar. “I gotta warn you though, I post a lot of dumb shit.”</p><p>Baekhyun grins when the friend request notification pops up on his phone and he hurries to accept it. He scrolls through Sehun’s feed, his smile widening with each post. “You really do post dumb shit,” he laughs.</p><p> </p><p>“Baek, come get your stuff out of the washer, I need to use it now.” Jongin appears in Baekhyun’s doorway and leans against the frame with his arms crossed, waiting for his brother to get up and do as he asked. Instead, Baekhyun ignores him, continues staring at his phone he’s holding up above his face.</p><p>“Talking to Minseok?” Baekhyun shakes his head and sits up, leaving his phone on the bed when he stands and stretches. “Jongdae?” Jongin asks, following Baekhyun down the hallway and to the laundry room.</p><p>“Nope.” Baekhyun groans and opens the washer; he truly hates laundry day. “I do have more than two friends, you know.”</p><p>Jongin raises both eyebrows and tugs his laundry basket closer so he can begin tossing the clothes into the washer. “News to me,” Jongin jokes. “So, who had you smiling like that?”</p><p>Baekhyun pauses with his finger on the start button of the dryer. “Uhh, Sehun.” He gives his brother a look, just a quick glance to work out how Jongin feels about this new information. “He added me on Facebook and we’ve been chatting a bit.” He chews at his lip nervously, worried about what Jongin will say.</p><p>“Just chatting?” Jongin raises an eyebrow, “Or flirting? I know how much you love to flirt.”</p><p>“Jongin,” Baekhyun whines, “We’re just talking, honestly. He has a boyfriend and I understand boundaries.”</p><p>Jongin purses his lips but drops it; he can tell Baekhyun is being truthful. “I’ll come get you when the dryer is done.”</p><p> </p><p>Baekhyun burps and it tastes disgusting, like bile and beer, and the nachos from the gas station down the street. Junmyeon laughs at the repulsed face Baekhyun makes and slaps him hard across the back before shoving another beer into his hand.</p><p>“Bottoms up baby brother!” Junmyeon shouts then begins pounding his fists on the kitchen table as he shouts encouragements to Baekhyun as he chugs his beer. Jongin glares at him from across the table.</p><p>“He has to work tomorrow,” Jongin hisses.</p><p>“Lighten up,” Kyungsoo says, also banging on the table in rhythm with Junmyeon.</p><p>Jongin sputters at this. “You guys are bad influences.”</p><p>Baekhyun finishes his beer and slams the can on the table, looking up between Junmyeon and Kyungsoo with a bright smile on his face. “Guys, I’m drunk.” His smile is lopsided now; he feels amazing and happily carefree. “Junnie,” he slurs, “You are a bad influence, Jongin is right.”</p><p>“He’s Junnie now huh?” Kyungsoo teases, wiggling his eyebrows at Jongin who only rolls his eyes and sighs in exasperation. “You really must be drunk, Baek, your old crush is starting to show.”</p><p>Everyone at the table except for Baekhyun laughs at this. Baekhyun crosses his arms childishly and pouts. “Aren’t you like forty? Shouldn’t you be teasing someone your own age?”</p><p>“I’m only thirty-three, you little ass,” Kyungsoo spits, giving Baekhyun a pointed glare.</p><p>Junmyeon grins, grabs his beer bottle with both hands wrapped around the neck, and rests his chin on it as he gazes across the table at Baekhyun. “It’s so easy to forget your age, until you pout and whine like a baby.”</p><p>Baekhyun glares at Junmyeon. Junmyeon with his slicked back silver undercut and giant 80s style glasses. His nice little legs that are hidden beneath the table, but Baekhyun knows are there. His shirt is unbuttoned a little and he’s got this little silver necklace on resting just above his collar bones. And, Baekhyun is just so, so attracted to him it’s physically painful. But, his crush from years ago is long gone; Junmyeon is just a friend, a devastatingly handsome friend.</p><p>“You’re staring,” Junmyeon teases, throws in a playful wink just to see Baekhyun’s face go red.</p><p>Kyungsoo throws his arm around Baekhyun’s shoulders now and shakes him around. “Baby brother hasn’t changed a bit. He still turns red when Junmyeon smiles at him.”</p><p>Baekhyun shoves Kyungsoo off of him and huffs. “You guys are mean. I don’t like Junmyeon anymore, okay? Leave me alone.”</p><p>More teasing takes place, lasting for another hour or so, peppered into conversation sporadically. Baekhyun takes it like a champ though, smiling through the jokes and jabs, laughing when Jongin tries his best to drunkenly defend his little brother, further embarrassing him in the process. He takes to his phone for solace hoping, as he presses send on Facebook messenger, that Sehun will still be awake at such an early morning hour.</p><p>Sehun replies quickly, putting a smile on Baekhyun’s face. But, instead of a text reply, Sehun chooses to video call Baekhyun.</p><p>“Hey!” Baekhyun shouts, moving his phone further from his face and waving. “Didn’t think you were gonna be up.”</p><p>Sehun chuckles, drags a hand through his hair. He’s sitting in what Baekhyun assumes is his bedroom; the lighting is dim and Sehun is almost certainly shirtless. “I don’t usually fall asleep until like three.”</p><p>“Who’s that?” Jongin asks, and is soon mimicked by Junmyeon and Kyungsoo.</p><p>“It’s Sehun,” Baekhyun chirps, flipping his phone around so they can see Sehun, and Sehun them. “Say hi.” He hears a soft hello from his phone and quickly turns the screen to face himself once again, giving Sehun a lazy smile with his cheek resting in his palm.</p><p>As he tries his best to hold a casual conversation with Sehun, Junmyeon and Kyungsoo whoop and whistle in the background. All Baekhyun wants is to listen to the funny story Sehun has about work earlier that day, but he finds himself turning red when Kyungsoo, through crying laughter, mentions that Baekhyun has a type.</p><p>Baekhyun quickly exits out of the video call and gives Kyungsoo a perplexed look. “What do you mean I have a type?”</p><p>Kyungsoo doesn’t answer verbally, but uses one hand to motion between Baekhyun’s phone and Junmyeon. “You don’t see it? The white hair. I bet Sehun is a dork, too.”</p><p>Realization hits Baekhyun and he takes in a deep breath, holding it for a second before deciding to purse his lips. “Are you saying that Sehun looks like Junmyeon? Because, no, he doesn’t. Sehun also isn’t a huge dork. I doubt he’s ever even seen Lord of the Rings.”</p><p>“It’s the hair,” Jongin giggles, thoroughly drunk now. “Baekie needs to get to bed, it’s late and you work in the morning.”</p><p>Baekhyun can’t help but smile at his worried brother. “Normally I’d tell you not to treat me like a baby, but I actually am pretty tired.”</p><p>Jongin has his forehead resting on the table now. Baekhyun gives Junmyeon and Kyungsoo a quick hug before patting the top of Jongin’s head. He wishes everyone a goodnight and takes off to his room.</p><p>Once comfortable in his pajamas, a baggy shirt and underwear, he curls up in bed with his phone and reopens messenger intent on messaging Sehun a bit more before bed.</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
Youre drunk</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
Perhaps</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
Was that your brother?<br/>
the exceptionally drunk one?</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
ya that’s my Jongin<br/>
he’s great, friends are dumb tho</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
yeah? whys that</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
I had a crush on the one with the<br/>
white hair when I was a kid and they<br/>
said it was cute u have white hair too</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
oh weird<br/>
im hotter than him tho</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
idk maybe not</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
guess ill have to come over<br/>
one day and compare in person</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
guess so</p><p> </p><p>Baekhyun wakes in the morning with a headache and dried drool crusted all over his chin. He stretches and sits up with only one eye open, and groans as his back cracks back into place. His door sits open an inch and he can hear Jongin watching TV quietly in the living room. Instead of bothering Jongin on his day off, he creeps across the hall to the bathroom to shower and get himself ready for the day.</p><p> </p><p>Sometimes Baekhyun likes to psychoanalyze himself. He knows it doesn’t work that way, but he tries his best, using the small bits of information he’d learned from a few college psychology classes; psychology is his major, after all. When he’s showering, trying to sleep, not paying attention in class, Baekhyun tries to figure out why he is the way he is.</p><p>He thinks he’s got it mostly figured out; he’s almost completely sure that it’s Yixing’s fault, that he was normal before his ex broke his heart. He’d been happy with Yixing, in love, infatuated. He never saw the breakup coming. Baekhyun was sure that they would work through a long distance relationship until they graduated in a year and one of them would move to where the other was. He can still remember the day Yixing broke up with him, every detail down to the outfits they were wearing. It was a Tuesday, late night after school had ended for the day and everyone had gone home after extracurricular activities, leaving the school empty and the parking lot barren.</p><p>Baekhyun remembers bursting into tears after Yixing had gotten into his car and left; Baekhyun had refused to let Yixing drive him home. He walked three miles home, hugging himself and crying, and wishing he could change what had just happened to him.</p><p>He was never quite the same after that. His opinion on love has changed; he no longer believes in relationships, has no desire to be in one. He dedicates his time to enjoying himself, making friends, denying boy’s offers of taking him on dates. He’s spent years like this, but sometimes, so very infrequently, he finds himself staring at couples in public holding hands, thinking that just maybe he could enjoy that kind of companionship once again.</p><p>Days like today, when he’s bored out of his mind at work, he finds himself paying attention to the couples in the store. With their laced fingers and happy smiles, lively conversations. Baekhyun sighs and leans on the counter, rolling his eyes as a boy kisses his girlfriend at the self-checkout register in front of him.</p><p>He spends the next few minutes arguing with a woman about exactly why he can’t accept her coupon. It’s for a different store ma’am. And her snappy ‘So?’ shocks him into silence for a few seconds before he can respond by telling her that if she wants to use that coupon she can drive to the correct store a few blocks down the road.</p><p>“You’re a savage.”</p><p>Baekhyun whips around and puts a big smile on his face. “What are you doing here on your day off?”</p><p>Sehun holds up a bag and shrugs. “Had to buy a few things for dinner tonight. I’m cooking Luhan a bomb ass dinner like the cute ass boyfriend I am.”</p><p>“Oh, cool.”</p><p>“Thought I’d come say hi before I left. You looked miserable.”</p><p>“I feel miserable,” Baekhyun says, only half-joking. “Customers have been vicious today for some reason.”</p><p>Sehun laughs, “Glad I’m off then.”</p><p> </p><p>Baekhyun spends a lot of time messaging Sehun, he realizes when he has to scroll up through their chat log to find something he said the day before to prove Sehun wrong. It takes him a few minutes of scrolling to find the message from the day before where Sehun told him he worked at 3pm today. Sehun had been arguing with him that he works at 4, so Baekhyun had to show him the proof. Sehun goes quiet for a while, so Baekhyun distracts himself by starting some homework.</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
I fucking hate this dumb ass class</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
what class? maybe I can help</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
its some psychology class<br/>
its online and im taking a quiz<br/>
rn that I think im failing</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
that’s my major<br/>
send pics ill help</p><p>They spend the next hour helping each other with homework. Sehun sends a picture of one question and Baekhyun helps by googling answers for him, while Sehun works out a math problem that Baekhyun has been struggling with for a while. They joke around a bit between helping, and Baekhyun finds himself not totally hating doing homework for once.</p><p> </p><p>Sehun isn’t working today, Baekhyun finds out when he walks into work. He pouts for a second as he stands by the schedule, waiting to be told what to do for the day. He sees Sehun’s name on the board; he should be here today, but next to his name is scribbled that he’d called off. The not-so-new manager, Chanyeol, Baekhyun reads off his nametag, eventually makes his way to Baekhyun and tells him to get to work.</p><p>It’s an easy shift; the store is slow and the customers don’t seem to have attitudes. He’s at a regular register just standing around for the most part, checking his phone every so often. Time flies by and then he’s told to go on his break.</p><p>He’s walking to go find a quick snack to buy when his phone dings. It’s a message from Sehun.</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
will you tell Luhan that you’re straight?</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
……what?</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
he took my phone and looked through<br/>
our messages and is all pissy because<br/>
we talk so much</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
I told him he has nothing to worry<br/>
about… that were just friends</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
I mean yeah, im super straight<br/>
were literally just friends</p><p> </p><p>There’s a weird mix of emotions Baekhyun feels from this conversation. He’s confused, mostly. But, he’s also angry. Why should he have to lie about his sexuality to comfort someone who couldn’t even be decent enough to shake his hand? And, why does Luhan trust Sehun so little that he feels the need to go through his phone?</p><p>He sits at an empty table in the store’s café area and stares out the window. Sehun hasn’t replied to him, so he takes that as a good sign. He wonders if Luhan is always like this, or if it’s just toward him personally. Sehun did say Luhan was the jealous type, so maybe it’s always been like this between them.</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
so Luhan just got mad and left my house<br/>
I’m sorry about that btw</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
its fine. what the hell happened?</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
I told you Luhan is a jealous person.<br/>
he’s always been like that.. like any<br/>
time we hang out he gets mad if anyone<br/>
messages me</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
I know its not my place but like<br/>
you know that’s shitty right?</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
yeah I know. its usually not that bad<br/>
hes just mad because of how much we<br/>
talk. he said I talk to you more than him</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
that’s ridiculous. hes your bf, he<br/>
should trust you</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
yeah I know</p><p> </p><p>Baekhyun doesn’t reply, mostly because his break is over, but also because he doesn’t even know what to say. How does he just make something like that his business and give an opinion on Sehun’s relationship? He’s known him for a short amount of time, certainly not long enough to tell Sehun that Luhan sounds like a terrible boyfriend.</p><p> </p><p>He doesn’t think about Sehun’s relationship for the next few days. He gets busy with school work and helping Junmyeon pick a new couch for his apartment, which takes eight different furniture stores and a brief meltdown ending in Baekhyun having to buy Junmyeon ice cream to calm him down. He works with Sehun three days in a row, which is nice. They talk and joke around, become even better friends than before, and Baekhyun finds himself enjoying Sehun’s company.</p><p>On the following Friday, Sehun’s day off, he comes into the store to buy a few groceries. However, this time he’s accompanied with Luhan. It shouldn’t bother Baekhyun, he should expect it, really. But, when Sehun doesn’t so much as look in Baekhyun’s direction, he can’t help but be a little hurt. He watches Sehun and Luhan check out and leave, holding hands and smiling.</p><p>Baekhyun pulls his phone out with a frown fixed on his face.</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
too good to say hello to me now?</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
sorry, with Luhan so I cant really talk,<br/>
you know?<br/>
Baekhyun<br/>
I don’t know actually. you coulda<br/>
at least waved</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
im sorry. you know how he is tho.</p><p>Baekhyun stares at the message for a length of time; he sighs.</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
you work tomorrow?</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
yeah</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
gotta go tho, talk to you later</p><p> </p><p>“And, he just pretended like I didn’t exist. Like, what the fuck?”</p><p>Baekhyun is lying on his back on his bed, feet propped up on the wall above his headboard as Minseok sits beside him giving half of his attention to Baekhyun, and the other half to the video game he’s playing.</p><p>“Sounds like you’re the jealous one,” Minseok shrugs.</p><p>“I’m not jealous.” Baekhyun reaches out and slaps Minseok on the back of the head. “We’re friends, so it kinda hurt my feelings that he ignored me.” He sits up now and scoots closer to the edge of the bed where Minseok is perched. “Wouldn’t it hurt your feelings if I ignored you like that?”</p><p>“Obviously.” Minseok pauses the game and looks to Baekhyun now. “But, that’s different. We’ve been best friends since middle school. If you ever ignored me for a boy I’d kick his ass, then yours.”</p><p>They both laugh and Minseok resumes his game.</p><p>“It is weird though, right? Like how he just pretended I wasn’t there?” Minseok gives Baekhyun one of his looks, and just like that the conversation is dropped.</p><p> </p><p>Jongin is busy making something for dinner that smells really good while Baekhyun sits on the couch, headphones jammed into his ears, as he gives his homework the old college try. He’s been working on it periodically throughout the day; a complete waste of his day off. But, it must be done because its due by midnight and he has plans to go out drinking with Minseok and Jongdae later that he refuses to miss out on.</p><p>By the time Jongin is sitting beside him, eating what looks to be some sort of chicken and vegetable stir-fry, Baekhyun is typing up the answer to the last question on his final worksheet. He turns to Jongin.</p><p>“Make any for me?”</p><p>Jongin rolls his eyes but nods as he carefully leans forward to grab the remote off the table without dropping his bowl of food. “I left a bowl for you on the counter.”</p><p>They eat in silence, with some murder show on TV that they both get sucked into. So sucked in, in fact, that at 10pm Baekhyun looks at his phone for the first time and realizes that he’s missed multiple calls, and texts from both Minseok and Jongdae in the group chat. He looks at the dozen empty beer bottles he and Jongin had drank scattered across the coffee table and swears under his breath. He sits up to open the chat.</p><p>It takes him a few minutes to read through everything his friends sent him. Beginning with ‘where are you’ messages, and ending with a series of pictures from Minseok of Jongdae making out with what appears to be a hot guy in short shorts while people around them stare.</p><p>Baekhyun chuckles, sends a few quick apology messages, and leans over to show Jongin the photos. Surprisingly, Jongin doesn’t laugh, and Baekhyun pulls the phone back to himself, thinking the screen went black.</p><p>To his surprise, the screen hadn’t dimmed, but he’d received a new message.</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
what are you doing im bored</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
im watching tv, little drunk</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
im assuming youre with your brother</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
yeah</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
go figure</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
he’s like my only friend, leave me<br/>
alone loll</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
wow, I’m insulted</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
oh shit, were friends??</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
wow.<br/>
no.<br/>
not anymore.<br/>
what did you think we were this<br/>
whole time?</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
idk? coworkers? loll</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
K</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
no baby don’t k me, I’m sorry!</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
youre drunk</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
nah just being stupid</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
ahh<br/>
well don’t be stupid in my inbox..<br/>
since were not even friends</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
I was JOKING</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
no you weren’t</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
but I really was tho :(</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
prove it</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
how?</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
idk<br/>
express your feelings</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
oh pass<br/>
don’t like that</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
why not lol</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
idk, just don’t like it</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
scaredy cat</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
oh definitely</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
come on big baby, I wanna know</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
know what?</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
how you feel about me…</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
uhhhh<br/>
I mean were friends?</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
nice<br/>
great explanation</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
that is my explanation tho</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
not good enough</p><p> </p><p>Baekhyun forgets to reply after that because a barrage of messages in the group chat distracts him. He answers a facetime from Minseok and the conversation with Sehun, that he won’t realize is kind of weird until he wakes in the morning, falls to the back of his mind as he and Jongin laugh and chat with Baekhyun’s friends while they take their Uber home from the bar.</p><p> </p><p>He’s a little hungover at work the next day and being told he works on the busy lane today really kills any hope he had for this not being a terrible day. None of the coworkers he’s good friends with are here today; he’s especially sad Sehun isn’t here. But really, it’s not all bad; the store is slow and he’s been messaging Sehun the entire time, so it’s like he’s here in spirit.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
work is so boring without you :(</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
because im amazing</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
ugh shut up<br/>
ur so cocky<br/>
Sehun<br/>
perhaps ;)</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
quit it loll<br/>
ur so stupid omg</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
you love it<br/>
you know im amazon</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
amazon<br/>
boy you cant even spell<br/>
u aint shit lmfaoo</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
suck my dick</p><p>Maybe it’s a lapse in judgement, or the dull throb of a hangover headache still softly pounding behind his eyes, but Baekhyun can’t help himself. He bites down on his lip and leans over his register, propping his elbows up so that he can pull his phone close to his face.</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
maybe I will</p><p> </p><p>That one simple reply, meant to be a joke, opens a flood gate Baekhyun isn’t sure he’s fully prepared for. Sehun turns on a charm Baekhyun didn’t know he had, takes every opportunity to turn anything Baekhyun says into something suggestive. And, he knows he shouldn’t do it; Baekhyun knows he shouldn’t play into it because Sehun has a boyfriend. But, he just can’t help himself, Sehun is irresistible. He’s so smart and funny, so attractive. So much Baekhyun’s type it hurts. Even as Baekhyun is sitting in his bed, giving Sehun advice to the best of his ability because he’s gotten into another fight with Luhan, he can’t help but giggle when Sehun changes the subject to how much he wishes his dick was being sucked right now. Baekhyun’s mouth waters at the thought, hopeful for the opportunity.</p><p> </p><p>On Baekhyun’s next day off he’s curled up in bed, trying his best not to wake up for the day when he gets a message. He groans and rolls over, reaches out onto his nightstand to grab his phone.</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
come see me at work<br/>
im so bored</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
but, im so comfy in bed</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
come onnnnn<br/>
I thought we were<br/>
“coworkers”</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
ur still mad about that huh?</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
of course<br/>
it hurt my feelings</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
aww im sorry<br/>
ill make it up to you somehow</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
I got a few ideas</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
yeah? like what?</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
let me come over tonight<br/>
and I’ll show you</p><p> </p><p>It’s a tempting offer, it really is, but Baekhyun isn’t sure if he’s ready to actually act on his lust for Sehun. Flirting through messages is fun and all, but at the end of the day, Sehun still has a boyfriend and Baekhyun just doesn’t want to be that kind of person.</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
cant tonight. sorry</p><p> </p><p>The long wait for the food to arrive to the table only has Baekhyun’s stomach growling even louder. He woke up early for some reason and never got around to eating anything, and now it’s dinner time and he’s starving. Luckily for him, Minseok and Jongdae insisted on him making up for missing their night at the bar and forced him to come out to eat with them.</p><p>When the food is finally placed in front of them Baekhyun sighs with relief and digs in, listening to Minseok continue to give out random psychology facts he’d learned in class a few days ago.</p><p>“This is delicious,” Baekhyun moans through a mouthful of food.</p><p>“Baek, what did you think about what professor said on Tuesday about psychopathy and nature vs. nurture?”</p><p>Baekhyun looks up, cheeks stuffed full of mashed potatoes and grins before swallowing the gigantic mouthful. “I’m gonna be honest here, I’m so hungry I was almost getting off on this food and didn’t hear a word you said just now.”</p><p>Minseok frowns and Jongdae giggles, a little drunk off his second dollar margarita. “You’re the worst best friend ever,” he says, “I don’t even give a shit about psychology and I was listening.”</p><p>He means to listen, he really does, but Sehun sends him a message that calls for all of Baekhyun’s attention.</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
people never change<br/>
im so sick of being told<br/>
things will be different<br/>
but then they just stay the same</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
you okay?</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
just.. another fight with Luhan<br/>
im so sick of arguing tbh</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
what happened this time?</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
just the same shit again<br/>
he said that I talk to you more than<br/>
him like I swear im not allowed to<br/>
have friends and its tiring</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
im sorry sehun, really<br/>
idk what to say</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
nothing to say<br/>
its fine don’t worry about it</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
u wanna come drink with<br/>
me and my brother later?</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
probably a bad idea</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
whys that?</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
idk actually<br/>
could be a good solution to<br/>
my problem</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
what problem?</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
im like anger horny right<br/>
now lmfaoo<br/>
if I came over id try to fuck you</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
shouldn’t your bf be the solution<br/>
to that problem?</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
lol what bf<br/>
we broke up</p><p> </p><p>Baekhyun has to set his phone down to give himself a second to think. He picks at the corner of his phone case as he chews nervously at his lip.</p><p>“Sehun broke up with his boyfriend,” he says suddenly, cutting off whatever it was that Minseok was saying. He’s staring blankly at his two friends; Minseok’s eyebrow is raised at the comment. “This is gonna be bad, huh?”</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
whaaat? when?</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
like a week ago, that one day<br/>
when I asked you to tell him<br/>
that ur straight<br/>
I thought I told you that?</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
you sure didn’t</p><p> </p><p>Baekhyun gulps when Sehun arrives on his front porch looking extra fine in normal clothes instead of a work uniform. He’s wedged himself into shredded jeans that shouldn’t have been able to slide up his legs, tucked a black t-shirt into them, and threw on a plaid shirt over it. The black hat jammed backwards on his head is what really does it for Baekhyun; it puts the cherry on top, completing the whole fuckboy look, and Baekhyun is drooling.</p><p>He invites Sehun in and motions to where his room is, then has to say a quick silent prayer to himself when his eyes land on Sehun’s incredible ass walking in front of him. This is going to be a long night.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Sehun has been at Baekhyun’s house, in his room, for well over two hours now. They’ve been drinking, talking about work, complaining about coworkers they don’t like, and occasionally dipping into actual friend territory by teasing each other and joking around. A short while in, Sehun takes his shoes off and makes himself comfortable on the bed, stretching out and resting his head on his folded arms behind him. Baekhyun remains on his desk chair at the other end of the room, spinning in slow half-circles while they mindlessly chat.</p><p>Sehun yawns around 11pm.</p><p>“You can stay here if you want.” Baekhyun says it like he doesn’t care whatever the response is. He chews nervously at his lip, knowing what the offer might imply. He watches Sehun’s face, sitting a few feet away on the bed; he nods.</p><p>“Yeah, probably a good idea,” Sehun says, holding up the vodka bottle they’ve spent the last few hours sipping out of. He takes another sip.</p><p>Their conversation finally dwindles as it gets later and Baekhyun finds himself sitting on the bed beside Sehun. He’s situated comfortably, leaning back against the wall with his legs thrown up over Sehun’s.</p><p>“Gonna turn the light off,” Baekhyun mumbles, “I’m tired.”</p><p>He can feel Sehun’s eyes watching him as he crosses the room, can tell he’s still focused on him as he comes back to the bed in the dark. He’s careful not to crush Sehun when he crawls onto his bed and lies down beside Sehun.</p><p>Neither speaks for a moment. Baekhyun is glad he’s a little tipsy, because if not, he’d be shaking with nerves.</p><p>“Are you going to sleep?” Sehun asks suddenly; he shifts to face Baekhyun.</p><p>Baekhyun shrugs. “I’m tired,” he whispers.</p><p>“Okay.”</p><p>Then, before Baekhyun can say anything else, Sehun’s hand is cupping his ass, squeezing hard and pulling Baekhyun closer to him. Baekhyun holds back a moan and surges forward to press his lips to Sehun’s.</p><p>Sehun is a great kisser, just on the dryer side of sloppy, and he knows when and where to use his teeth. His tongue slides around inside Baekhyun’s mouth all while his hands serve to work Baekhyun into a hot, panting frenzy.</p><p>It’s like no kiss Baekhyun has ever experienced. No one night stand, no relationship he’s ever been in could ever compare to the way Sehun’s hands caress, slap, and grope at his body. They’re both fully clothed still and Baekhyun is needy like a teenager, whining and panting hot breaths against Sehun’s neck, groaning when Sehun lands another sharp slap to his thigh.</p><p>The hand on his throat comes without warning and has Baekhyun’s eyes rolling back, lashes fluttering as he feels the pressure build. He can tell that Sehun is holding back, playing it safe in case choking isn’t something Baekhyun is in to. Admittedly, Baekhyun has never been choked before, he’s always wanted it but been too afraid, too embarrassed to ask. But this, the gentle steady pressure of Sehun’s large hand pressing into his neck, is heavenly. As his lungs begin to ache, Sehun takes his lips again in a searing kiss, releasing Baekhyun’s throat so he can breathe freely again.</p><p>Baekhyun gasps for air, not because he legitimately couldn’t breathe, but because he’s overstimulated, much too horny, and Sehun has just shoved a hand into his pants. Sehun moves fast, he’s unpredictable and Baekhyun fucking loves it.</p><p>“Oh fuck,” Baekhyun moans, already sounding pathetically wrecked. “Feels so good.”</p><p>“Yeah?” Sehun purrs; Baekhyun can just hear the smirk on his lips. “I can do better.”</p><p>Sehun moves Baekhyun onto his back, throws his pants and underwear on the floor, and wedges Baekhyun’s legs up over his shoulders. He has his hands buried in Sehun’s hair as he pants, heavy breaths stuttering every so often.</p><p>“Better be quiet,” Sehun teases, “Don’t want your brother hearing you getting your dick sucked.”</p><p>“Fuck,” Baekhyun whispers this time. He gives Sehun’s hair a quick tug and moans when Sehun gives him a harsh suck in response. “You’re like…really fucking good at this.”</p><p>Sehun doesn’t speak, but the eyebrow he raises at Baekhyun says everything. He knows he’s good. And, just to prove his point, Sehun licks a slow, wet stripe up the full length of Baekhyun’s cock causing him to shudder and squeeze Sehun’s head between his thighs.</p><p>“So, how do you want this?” Sehun asks, pulling off and wiping his mouth with his forearm. “You just want hands or…are we fucking?”</p><p>“Please fuck me,” Baekhyun rushes out embarrassingly quick. Sehun smirks and gets up on his knees to pull his shirt off. Baekhyun eyes him up and down and groans, leans forward to run his hands all over his body. “God, you’re so hot.”</p><p> </p><p>The hickey on his neck is glaringly obvious in his reflection in the bathroom mirror and he turns and cranes his neck, tries to observe it from different angles. He knows people will ask about it, and he knows he can’t say anything to anyone at work; he doesn’t know if Sehun wants anyone to know. He doesn’t want anyone to know. He should feel ashamed. He should feel terrible. Sehun just broke up with Luhan eight days ago and he’s already fucked him. He’s awful and he knows it, but he feels amazing. Sehun made him feel absolutely amazing. He can’t help but wonder when, or if, Sehun will want a second round. Baekhyun takes one last look at his neck and bites his lip, smiles to himself a little, and shuts the bathroom light off.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
you left a hickey on my neck</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
I was literally just about to<br/>
text you the same thing omgg</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
no its not funny tho<br/>
what am I gonna tell Luhan?</p><p>Baekhyun can’t explain the way that makes him feel, or why it even makes him feel any kind of way. But, his heart sinks a little nonetheless. Did Sehun lie to him? Are he and Luhan actually still together and Baekhyun just helped him cheat? He’s spiraling, panicking at the thought of being the shitty person he was trying to avoid being.</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
wait.. I thought you guys broke up?</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
we did but like I still love him<br/>
you know? we’ll get back together<br/>
eventually, we broke up before<br/>
and things were fine after a while</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
oh, weird. that doesn’t<br/>
sound healthy</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
yeah its whatever<br/>
shit happens</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
true</p><p> </p><p>Sehun doesn’t reply after that, there’s really nothing left to say. Baekhyun isn’t upset, either. He wasn’t expecting anything more than sex from Sehun, and that’s exactly what he got. Exactly what he wanted. After all, Sehun is younger than him; he should be with someone his own age. Surely not someone five years older than him like Baekhyun is.</p><p>He sits at the kitchen table to drink a cup of tea and mindlessly runs fingers over his hickey. He bites his lip as memories of last night flood back to him. Sehun fucked him so good, better than anyone ever has. He was so sure of his every move, confidence flowed with every kiss, every thrust, every filthy word that he whispered into Baekhyun’s ear. Sehun has a way with words that Baekhyun could have never imagined, and he really wants to hear them again.</p><p>So, he grabs his phone.</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
so like, was this a one-time thing?</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
miss my dick already huh?<br/>
thinking about next time</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
tbh I cant stop thinking about<br/>
how rough you were. no ones<br/>
ever been like that with me</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
so it was good is what youre saying</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
your ego is big enough already<br/>
im not gonna give you anything<br/>
to brag about</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
just my ego? nothing else?</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
dude your dick is huge<br/>
like what the fuck??<br/>
I was sooo not expecting that</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
lmfaooo<br/>
ive been told that a few times<br/>
been told im a good fuck as<br/>
well</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
you really are<br/>
so like, about this next time?</p><p> </p><p>“I’m so glad Jongin isn’t home,” Sehun says with a grunt. He’s buried deep inside Baekhyun, holding his legs straight up, slamming hard into him. “Now I can show you my full potential.”</p><p>Baekhyun throws his head to the side and tugs at his own hair; Sehun feels so, so good inside of him it’s maddening. “God, fuck. Last time wasn’t all you had?” He doesn’t even hear Sehun’s answer over his own moan that falls unwillingly out of his mouth. He does, however, hear Sehun order him to flip over right before he’s picked up and shoved onto his hands and knees.</p><p>He’s being manhandled and it’s undeniably hot as fuck, has his dick throbbing between his legs when Sehun pushes roughly back into him. He groans and finally responds to what Sehun originally said. “Oh my god,” he whines pathetically, “I’m so glad Jongin isn’t home, too. He’d give me so much shit tomorrow if he heard this.”</p><p>Sehun chuckles from behind him and takes a handful of Baekhyun’s hair, gives it a rough tug. “Well then,” he says close to Baekhyun’s ear, “let’s see how loud your pretty little mouth can get.”</p><p>From there, though it’s hard to believe, things only get better. Sehun is pounding hard into Baekhyun from behind; the sound of their skin slapping together echoes through the room along with Baekhyun’s pleasured wails and grunts through gritted teeth.</p><p>Baekhyun nearly loses it, has to remind himself that Jongin isn’t home; he screams, eyes closed and mouth hanging open. Sehun makes him moan again and again, gripping and pulling his hair, slapping his ass without a second of hesitation. Sehun’s palm meets Baekhyun’s skin and it’s hot, heavy, stings so beautifully that Baekhyun’s legs are trembling in their struggle to keep him upright.</p><p>He can hear Sehun behind him, clearly affected by the pleasure and the sounds coming from Baekhyun. He dirty talks relentlessly, calls Baekhyun princess as he’s treating him like anything but. They’re both sweating, both swearing, grunting; Baekhyun is begging to come, begging for Sehun to come inside of him as he reaches his hand bank to grip Sehun’s thigh.</p><p>The request has Sehun slowing down; he reaches up and traces gentle fingers down Baekhyun’s spine. Baekhyun wants to complain, but Sehun’s fingers running so affectionately down his back make him shiver.</p><p>“You sure you want me to come in you?”</p><p>“Fuck,” Baekhyun cries out. He pushes himself back onto Sehun’s dick and moans at the way Sehun throbs inside of him. “Fuck, yeah come in me. Oh god, please.” He yelps when Sehun unexpectedly takes a handful of his hair and jerks his head back.</p><p>“Whatever you want, princess.”</p><p> </p><p>There are very few things Baekhyun can think of that have ever made him question his life. Registering for a 7am class last semester. Applying for a retail job. Accepting his older brother’s offer to move in with him. All these questionable decisions and Baekhyun finds himself wondering what exactly had come over him that caused him to beg Sehun to come inside of him. He’s never let anyone do that before.</p><p>He can still hear Sehun’s heavy breathing from beside him. He’s breathing just the same, taking in large gulps of air as he sits still, trying to calm his erratic heartbeat. Sehun really did a number on him. He shifts slightly in place, can feel Sehun’s cum begin to spill out of him; it’s sticky and warm, and Baekhyun is uncomfortable. He doesn’t want Sehun to know, so he turns and gives Sehun a small smile.</p><p>“That was…” Baekhyun throws an arm over his eyes and laughs. “Holy shit.”</p><p>Sehun laughs along and moves to sit up at the side of the bed. With the TV now turned on, the dim light highlights Sehun’s perfect body and Baekhyun bites his lip at the view.</p><p>“I should get home,” Sehun says just before standing.</p><p>Baekhyun has to stop himself from moaning at the sight of a fully naked Sehun standing in the middle of his room, facing him, confidently hiding nothing from Baekhyun’s eyes. “Yeah, it’s late,” Baekhyun can hear himself saying, but he’s not focused on his own speech as much as he is straining his eyes to make out the shape of Sehun’s ass as he bends to grab his clothes from the floor.</p><p>“Has anyone ever told you that you suck dick like, really well?”</p><p>Baekhyun smirks; he’s been told a few times. “Never,” he lies.</p><p>“Well, you do. Like, really fucking good.” Sehun spins around a few times, trying to find his hat. He turns the light on and Baekhyun groans, hurries to cover his eyes. “Not even Luhan can take as much of my dick down his throat as you can.” He jams his hat onto his head and watches Baekhyun search the floor for his own clothes. “I was kinda impressed.”</p><p>“Oh, thanks.” Baekhyun rolls his eyes. “You wanna pat me on the head now? Tell me I’m a good boy?” He’s joking, very obviously being sarcastic and expecting Sehun to laugh. Instead, Sehun steps closer, a serious look on his face. He grabs Baekhyun’s chin between his thumb and index finger and just smirks.</p><p>“You want me to call you a good boy?”</p><p>Baekhyun struggles to keep himself from nodding, choosing to instead hold a searing eye contact with Sehun.</p><p>“Act like one then.” When Baekhyun gulps, Sehun cracks up. He nearly doubles over on the floor, bringing himself to tears with laughter. “You’re too easy. Do you need to check if you just came in your pants?”</p><p>“I hate you,” Baekhyun grumbles, then tugs his shirt down over his head.</p><p>“Do you really though?”</p><p>Baekhyun crosses his arms, pouts. “No.”</p><p>Sehun slaps a hand across Baekhyun’s back. “That’s what I thought. Wanna walk me out?”</p><p>At the door, Baekhyun is unsure of what he’s supposed to do. The last boy he had over for a quick fuck gave him a kiss before they parted ways and never spoke again. But, he doesn’t want to never see Sehun again. He also isn’t sure if kissing Sehun goodbye is the right thing to do, or if he even wants to do that at all.</p><p>It seems Sehun is thinking through the same dilemma. He turns to Baekhyun with his eyebrows drawn together in something that looks similar to confusion. “So, do we like…”</p><p>“Shake hands?” Baekhyun jokes.</p><p>Sehun begins to raise his hand, looking unsure the entire time. Then, Baekhyun laughs and slaps Sehun’s hand away from him.</p><p>“I was joking, idiot. We can like, hug, if you want? That’s less weird, right?”</p><p>“For sure.”</p><p>But, Sehun still doesn’t look sure while he’s leaning forward, opening his arms to give Baekhyun a weak squeeze between both arms. Baekhyun only uses one arm, the other caught between himself and Sehun for the two seconds the hug lasts.</p><p>A throat clearing startles both of them and they jump apart.</p><p>“Hey Baek.” Jongin doesn’t speak the questions Baekhyun can see in his eyes aloud; he only walks past the pair and enters the house, giving Sehun a knowing nod before disappearing through the door.</p><p>“I’m gonna go,” Sehun says without looking up at Baekhyun. “I’ll message you later.”</p><p> </p><p>Baekhyun is a little nervous as he gets ready for work. He hasn’t worked a shift with Sehun since they began fucking, and he’s worried that people at work will somehow know that something is going on between them. He managed to avoid anyone noticing his hickey for the few days it was there, and he can only hope that luck sticks with him through this shift.</p><p>When Baekhyun walks into work he’s told where to go and he begins making his way over to self-checkout. He’s working with Sehun today, of course, and he’s excited and worried.</p><p>There are a couple other coworkers standing around Sehun, two women in their thirties that Baekhyun knows for a fact think Sehun likes him. He sighs and puts on a half-sincere smile as he steps up beside everyone.</p><p>Sehun grins wide at Baekhyun; it’s a knowing look, one that only Baekhyun knows holds a secret. “Glad you’re here. Now I can finally go to the bathroom.”</p><p>The three of them all watch Sehun walk away.</p><p>“You two look awfully friendly,” one woman says to Baekhyun.</p><p>“Oooh Baekhyun, don’t be fucking with that boy,” the other woman teases, “he’s a baby! Too young for you.”</p><p>Baekhyun has to force out a laugh and hope it sounds normal and not at all suspicious. “We’re friends, no idea what you guys are talking about.”</p><p>“You know he has a boyfriend, right?” the first woman asks.</p><p>“He doesn’t, actually,” Baekhyun corrects, then hurries to add, “But it doesn’t matter, because we’re just friends.”</p><p>The two women look like they want to say more, but Sehun returns and they leave to actually go do their jobs elsewhere in the store.</p><p>“They think we’re fucking, by the way.”</p><p>Baekhyun turns to Sehun with a blank stare. “Really? Would have never guessed that.”</p><p> </p><p>For the next few hours they try to avoid working as much as possible. It’s slow in the store, only a few customers every half hour or so. They entertain themselves by throwing a ball back and forth until the manager yells at them to stop. Then, they huddle together to read a magazine Sehun snatched from a nearby shelf.</p><p>“Man, I’m gonna miss working with you.”</p><p>Baekhyun whips his head up and glares at Sehun. “Are you quitting? Did you get a better job and not invite me along?”</p><p>Sehun laughs and shakes his head. “No, no nothing like that.” He closes the magazine and ignores it when it falls to the floor. “I’m taking late classes this semester so I have to switch to morning shift.”</p><p>Baekhyun scoffs. “What the fuck am I supposed to do without you? Do you even know how boring this place is when you’re not here?” Baekhyun sighs, “At least we’ll still work together on the weekends.”</p><p>The smile Sehun gives him is unsettling. “Actually no, I’m taking weekends off.”</p><p>Baekhyun scoffs again, more animated this time. “You did this on purpose! You picked like, the exact opposite schedule as me.”</p><p>“I’m sorry!” Sehun grabs Baekhyun’s shoulders and shakes him. “Why don’t you just switch to morning shift with me?”</p><p>“Oh, fuck no.” Baekhyun makes an absolutely disgusted face. “I’d rather die than wake up early.” He shrugs, “I won’t miss you that much.”</p><p> </p><p>The new semester begins and Sehun’s absence at work immediately dampens Baekhyun’s mood. He used to almost look forward to his shifts when he knew he’d be working with Sehun. Now, work is back to its pre-Sehun boringness, and Baekhyun hates it.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
im so mad at you for<br/>
switching shifts</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
you’ll get over it</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
no I wont<br/>
work is so boring</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
take a morning shift then</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
no, not happening</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
well if it makes you feel better<br/>
im working a late shift next week</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
what day?<br/>
with me?</p><p><strong>Sehun</strong><br/>
lol yeah<br/>
Monday night</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
sweet, can’t wait</p><p> </p><p>“You used to dance?”</p><p>Baekhyun is sitting on the couch in the living room, hands wrapped around a beer, mouth hanging open in disbelief. Sehun and Jongin get along so well it’s scary.</p><p>He still isn’t sure how it happened. He invited Sehun over after work and one minute he was enjoying a nice moment of post-orgasm bliss beside Sehun in his bed, then the next, Jongin was knocking on his door asking if he’d like some pizza. So, he’s here, watching Jongin and Sehun chat happily about dancing over food and drinks. He’s at a loss for words. He knows that Jongin knows; Baekhyun can tell by the subtle raise of Jongin’s eyebrows when Sehun exited the room alongside Baekhyun. He knows, and Baekhyun, had he any capacity to feel shame, would have already asked Sehun to leave before Jongin got the chance to ask him about his major in college.</p><p>“I did!” Jongin nods and smiles shyly. “I gave it up though to get a useful degree that would make money.”</p><p>Sehun rolls his eyes and scoffs; Baekhyun holds his breath, he knows how touchy of a subject this is for Jongin and he’s worried Sehun is going to say something to piss him off.</p><p>“Are you happy, though?” Jongin just stares like he doesn’t understand the question. “Like, was giving up your dream worth it?”</p><p>Baekhyun watches Jongin with bated breath.</p><p>“I…I miss it, a lot. But, I had to do what I had to do, you know?”</p><p>Baekhyun’s jaw drops; did Jongin finally just admit that he was unhappy? And, to Sehun instead of his own brother? What the fuck?</p><p>“Jongin?” Baekhyun is looking at him with worry obvious in his eyes.</p><p>“Get up,” Sehun says suddenly as he stands, reaching a hand out to Jongin. “Let’s go. Show me what you got.” He tosses his phone to Baekhyun with a smile as Jongin stands. “Play a song with a good beat.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, you can take your lunch now.”</p><p>Baekhyun looks up from his phone and smiles at Chanyeol.</p><p>“Not you,” he says, and then points to the cashier behind him. “We’re short staffed today so I’m gonna stay here and help.”</p><p>He’s never really talked to Chanyeol, just a casual hello every now and then, or asking him where he’s going for the day. He knows all the girls at work think he’s hot; he’s heard them all swooning over him at one point or another since his first day on the job. He can totally see it though; Chanyeol is tall and broad, nice hair, great legs. And, he’s got this big, goofy smile permanently plastered on his face. He’s heard rumors about him though, things too serious for Baekhyun to take seriously when presented as gossip. He’s been told Chanyeol’s in a relationship with a man that frequently cheats on him. He hopes it’s not true; he doesn’t know Chanyeol well, but no one deserves that.</p><p>Chanyeol reaches across Baekhyun, grabbing a small magazine that’s lying on the counter in front of them. It’s been sitting there all shift and Baekhyun has been periodically flipping through it.</p><p>“You’re into—” Chanyeol flips the booklet over to read the cover, “crockpot recipes?” He flashes that goofy smile and Baekhyun chuckles a bit, shakes his head.</p><p>“No, not at all. I’m just really bored and it was the only thing I had to read.” He takes the magazine from Chanyeol and flips through a few pages. “I was actually trying to find the most unappetizing recipe in the book. But, to be honest, they all look pretty gross.”</p><p>Chanyeol happily plucks the book from Baekhyun’s hands and grins. “Sounds fun, I’m in!”</p><p>They spend the next half hour taking turns flipping through the book, presenting what they believe to be the worst recipe in the book. At one point, Baekhyun laughs to tears over a tuna casserole recipe that looks absolutely disgusting.</p><p>“When’s your birthday?” He asks Chanyeol, “I’m gonna make that for you!” His laughter gets louder when Chanyeol fakes a gag.</p><p>“November 27th, but please don’t make it. I’d have to eat it because you made it for me, and I really don’t wanna do that.”</p><p>“Oh no. No, no, no. I’m totally making it and you’re gonna have to eat it all.”</p><p>“I’ll die, you don’t understand. Tuna is so gross!”</p><p>When Baekhyun’s coworker returns from her lunch Chanyeol leaves and the fun is over. He looks across the store, to where Chanyeol is standing with his little clipboard helping a customer, and smiles. He totally sees why all the ladies at work think he’s hot.</p><p> </p><p>“So, hey,” Baekhyun says, “can I ask you something?” He’s got a spray bottle in one hand and a bunched up paper towel in the other. It’s near the end of his shift and the store closes soon, so he’s wiping down the self-checkout registers.</p><p>Chanyeol stops walking and nods. “Yeah, what’s up?”</p><p>It’s been a couple weeks since the day they looked through the crockpot magazine together and they’ve become work friends. So, Baekhyun decides this question might be alright to ask him.</p><p>“So like, I’ve heard some rumors. And…I’m not usually nosy, I promise. But, I just wanted to know if they’re true instead of just believing work gossip and—”</p><p>Chanyeol nods slowly and sighs. “You wanna know if the stuff about my relationship is true?”</p><p>Baekhyun chews nervously at his lip, hoping he hasn’t just crossed a line. He nods, “Yeah.”</p><p>“It is, yeah.”</p><p>“Why don’t…I mean, it’s not my place to ask, but why don’t you just leave?”</p><p>Chanyeol smiles now, “It’s…complicated.” He shrugs. “We’ve been together for twelve years.” He makes a face, like he’s trying to justify things in his head before speaking. “People— People make mistakes. And, I love him.”</p><p>Baekhyun’s heart breaks for Chanyeol in that moment. He can see the pain in his eyes as he talks about this. Baekhyun has only known him for a short time, but he knows that Chanyeol is a sweetheart. He also knows he’d like to smack Chanyeol’s boyfriend a few times for him.</p><p>“I’m sorry for bringing this up; I just wanted to know.”</p><p>Chanyeol smiles and waves it off with a shrug. “It’s no problem; I don’t mind talking about this, it’s my life. Can’t run from it.”</p><p>Baekhyun doesn’t know what to say, so he nods. “Still, I’m sorry though.”</p><p> </p><p>It’s a well-deserved day off, Baekhyun believes. He’s sitting on the couch, slouching really, when Jongin enters the room. He pushes Baekhyun’s feet over, making enough room for him to sit at the opposite end of the couch. For a while they sit in silence, the TV is on quietly and they’re both mindlessly watching.</p><p>“You like him, don’t you?”</p><p>Baekhyun looks up from his phone, from his text conversation with Sehun, and frowns. “What? Who? Sehun?” He lays his phone flat on his stomach, screen down, and sits up a little. “No. Of course not. Why?”</p><p>Jongin does the face, the little head tilt and eyebrow raise combination. Baekhyun groans.</p><p>“Okay. Okay, maybe a little. Is that bad?”</p><p>Jongin turns his head back toward the TV and presses his lips tightly together. “Just, be careful.”</p><p>“What does that mean?”</p><p>“I-“ Jongin sighs, “He’s young is all I’m saying. Don’t get hurt.”</p><p>“I know he’s young. What does that have to do with anything?”</p><p>Jongin doesn’t speak at first. He turns to his brother and pats his legs with a smile before standing. “Why don’t you invite him over this weekend? Junmyeon’s bachelor party; it’ll be fun.”</p><p> </p><p>“The woman at register three is trying to shove cash into where you insert your credit card.” Baekhyun whispers this in excitement as Chanyeol strolls over to him.</p><p>He grabs Chanyeol by the shoulders and spins him around, placing him beside him at the self-checkout podium. They watch in amazed confusion as the woman continues trying to forcefully jam money into the credit card slot. She grows more and more frustrated until Chanyeol, the good manager he is, can’t take it anymore and decides to go help instead of letting the show go on.</p><p>“I can’t believe you stopped her,” Baekhyun pouts when Chanyeol returns. “I wanted to see how long it took her to figure it out.”</p><p>Chanyeol laughs and gives Baekhyun a little shove. “You’re such a dick.”</p><p>Baekhyun scoffs, “Rude, I’m calling HR.” He picks up the phone on the podium and turns to Chanyeol, “What’s their number?”</p><p>Chanyeol rolls his eyes and takes the phone from Baekhyun’s hand. “Go do your job for once.”</p><p>“Rude!” Baekhyun shouts as Chanyeol walks away from him.</p><p>Chanyeol stops walking suddenly and turns back to Baekhyun. “I was coming over here to send you on your break but you distracted me.”</p><p>“Oh, sweet.” Baekhyun shoots Chanyeol finger guns and whips his phone from his back pocket as he makes his way to the breakroom. “See you in fifteen,” he calls over his shoulder.</p><p> </p><p>Baekhyun spends his break sitting on his ass in an uncomfortable seat in the less-than-inviting employee breakroom, texting Sehun to see if he still wanted to come to the bachelor party later that night. Sehun says yes and Baekhyun smiles. Then he looks at the time, whispers ‘fuck’, and jumps up to rush to the front so he can punch back in only five minutes late.</p><p> </p><p>Chanyeol has a hand on his hip and an eyebrow raised when Baekhyun makes it back to the podium. “Fifteen minutes does not mean twenty, you know.”</p><p>“Sorry, got distracted in the breakroom.”</p><p>Chanyeol’s eyes narrow, and then he smiles. “You’re lucky I like you, or else I’d have to write you up.”</p><p>“My hero,” Baekhyun jokes, “not another writeup in my employee file.”</p><p>Baekhyun expects Chanyeol to leave after that, but he sticks around to pretend to help out. The store is dead, so it’s obvious Baekhyun doesn’t actually need help.</p><p>“You missed your buddy,” Chanyeol says. He waits for Baekhyun to turn and look confused before continuing. “Sehun. He was just in here with his boyfriend. He’s very pretty,” Chanyeol says matter-of-factly.</p><p>Baekhyun makes a face, “He doesn’t have a boyfriend.”</p><p>Chanyeol mimics Baekhyun’s face and shrugs. “Well, they sure looked like they were together.” He points toward the exit doors, “Walked out holding hands and looking all cute.”</p><p>There’s a strange, sinking feeling in Baekhyun’s chest, and he tries his best to appear unaffected. “Oh, weird.”</p><p> </p><p>Junmyeon is sitting shirtless in a chair in the middle of the room, very obviously drunk out of his mind, when Baekhyun enters the apartment. It looks very much like a stripper situation, but there’s no half-naked girl in sight. There is loud music playing however, and Baekhyun is terribly confused.</p><p>“Baby brother!” Kyungsoo rushes him at the door and thrusts a beer into his hand. “You have some catching up to do!”</p><p>Jongdae and Minseok are standing with Jongin over by the TV stand, which has been moved to accommodate the chair Junmyeon is sitting in.</p><p>“What is he doing?” Baekhyun takes a drink from the beer and points at Junmyeon.</p><p>“We had him in that chair doing a beer bong and he spewed beer all over himself,” Minseok cackles.</p><p>“Took his soaked shirt off and he’s been pouting ever since,” Jongdae adds.</p><p>Baekhyun laughs. “I’m gonna go change out of my uniform really quick. Be right back.”</p><p> </p><p>He tosses his work polo into the pile on the floor and rubs his hands over his face as he stares at himself in the mirror. He feels so stupid. Of course Sehun is back with Luhan. Why wouldn’t he be? He begins to shimmy out of his pants and grabs a pair of dark jeans off of his desk chair. Why wouldn’t Sehun tell him that?</p><p>He’s pulled from his thoughts, and scared beyond belief, when someone begins pounding on his door like the police.</p><p>“Baby brother!” Kyungsoo is shouting. “Hurry up!”</p><p>He hears Junmyeon join in on Kyungsoo’s chant of ‘baby brother’ and he smiles as he buttons his jeans. “I’m coming,” he yells; then he swipes his beer off his dresser and joins the party.</p><p> </p><p>At 11pm Minseok is slurring something about homeostasis in early adulthood development while everyone is trying their best to pretend to listen. The music is still playing, a little softer now, and two large pizzas have been devoured.</p><p>Baekhyun is blissfully drunk, nursing beer number he’s not sure, and just smiling at nothing. He’s sharing a chair with Minseok at the kitchen table, sitting half on Minseok’s lap, half on the chair. In front of him, there’s a heated game of cards against humanity going on. He looks down and realizes he’s holding cards. He giggles at one of them and throws it into the pile in the middle, unsure of what the fill in the blank card even said anymore.</p><p>There’s a knock at the door and everyone looks up to stare at each other. Jongin thinks it’s someone from the apartment complex coming to tell them to shut up, so he hides his face behind his cards while Jongdae wanders over to open the door.</p><p>“Well…hello,” Jongdae says with a sleazy smile. He turns to the kitchen where everyone is and yells, “There’s a gorgeous boy at the door, does he belong to anyone here?”</p><p>Sehun steps into everyone’s view and Baekhyun jumps up, trips where his and Minseok’s feet are tangled beneath the table, and struts over to the door with drunk confidence. He plants a kiss on Sehun’s lips and pulls back with a giggle.</p><p>“Hello to you, too,” Sehun laughs.</p><p>“Come meet everyone.”</p><p>Baekhyun grabs Sehun’s arm and drags him into the kitchen. Jongin tosses Sehun a beer as Baekhyun introduces him to everyone. Another chair is found and dragged up to the table; Sehun sits and pulls Baekhyun onto his lap, then takes a sip from his beer over Baekhyun’s shoulder. Sehun is dealt into the card game and the rowdy festivities continue.</p><p> </p><p>Near the end of the game, when things are beginning to wind down, Baekhyun can hardly focus. He can feel Sehun’s semi-hard dick pressing against his ass, and every so often Sehun’s hand on his thigh slides up a little higher. He’s all but panting when he stands and announces he has to pee before rushing out of the room.</p><p>In the bathroom, he splashes water on his face and looks up, trying to focus his eyes in the mirror. He’s so, so drunk right now. Far passed the point of fun, probably five beers beyond peak, fun drunk. The door he thought he’d locked opens and he jumps.</p><p>“You good?” Sehun asks.</p><p>Before Baekhyun can answer, Sehun overtakes him, shoves him against the vanity and closes the door. He hears the lock click as Sehun begins pressing hot kisses to his neck; a cool hand slides up his shirt. He holds back a moan when Sehun’s other hand rub over the front of his jeans.</p><p>It feels so good. Sehun does everything just right, just like he knows Baekhyun likes it. This is definitely not the time for it; he doesn’t want to think about it, but the thought is nagging at the back of Baekhyun’s mind.</p><p>“S-Sehun…what—” He moans when Sehun’s hand slips into his pants. But, Baekhyun needs to know. He grabs Sehun’s hand to stop him. “What about Luhan?”</p><p>Sehun scoffs and pulls his hand out of Baekhyun’s jeans. He takes a step back and frowns. “What about him?” He stares at Baekhyun, realizes things aren’t going to continue until he says something more. He steps close enough for his lips to just barely touch Baekhyun’s ear. “What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.”</p><p>Baekhyun’s breath stutters as he exhales and his face falls. He shoves Sehun away from him and moves toward the door, glaring at Sehun who looks shocked at this turn of events. “You never actually broke up with him, did you?”</p><p>Sehun doesn’t say anything, but he doesn’t need to for Baekhyun to know the answer. He unlocks and opens the door, and takes a step back into the hallway. “Go home.”</p><p>“Baekhyun, I—”</p><p>“I don’t wanna hear it,” Baekhyun interrupts, “leave.”</p><p>Sehun grunts in frustration, but says nothing else. He exits the bathroom and doesn’t look back, leaving the apartment with a slam of the door.</p><p>When Baekhyun goes back into the kitchen everyone is staring at him in awkward silence. Baekhyun says nothing as he sits in Sehun’s now empty chair and picks up his cards.</p><p>“Whose turn is it?”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Only took me like seven months, but I finally finished this! I know, I can't believe it either. I hope you enjoy this fun spin on my actual, chaotic life. I know it seems unbelievable but, believe me, it happened. Pretty much just like this...I only exaggerated some things for a bit of fictional flare.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The headache he has could rival a gunshot wound to the head, Baekhyun thinks as he rolls over in bed. He takes a slow breath in as his eyes focus in the dim lighting; he can just make out Minseok’s sleeping face on the pillow beside him. He doesn’t want to wake Minseok, doesn’t want to have the conversation with him he knows is coming. So, he gently tosses the covers off of himself and rolls slowly to his side. His feet hit the floor silently.</p><p>“Don’t even try it.”</p><p>Baekhyun sighs and lets his shoulders drop; he’s been caught trying to escape. A hand grabs his shirt and tugs him backwards. He falls back, landing with his head on Minseok’s stomach.</p><p>“Now that we’re sober, we’re definitely gonna talk about what happened last night.”</p><p>Baekhyun covers his eyes with his forearms and groans. “There’s nothing to talk about, Minseok. We had a stupid thing, and now we don’t.”</p><p>Minseok slaps the side of Baekhyun’s head and sits up; Baekhyun follows, propping himself against the headboard and resting his head on Minseok’s shoulder. He takes in a slow breath and sighs in defeat.</p><p>“This is exactly why I stopped having feelings for people. He lied to me.” Baekhyun groans and flails his legs around. “He said he broke up with his boyfriend, but he didn’t. He was using me to cheat.” He covers his face with both hands. “I’m so stupid. Jongin was right. I’m so fucking stupid.”</p><p>“Baek, you’re not.” Minseok nudges at Baekhyun until he looks at him. “You liked someone and you wanted him to like you back. Him being a douche doesn’t make you stupid. Having feelings doesn’t make you stupid.”</p><p>Baekhyun crosses his arms and pouts like the mature adult he is. “Well I feel stupid. Jongin warned me about him too, but I’m too stupid to listen.”</p><p>Minseok groans and then shoves Baekhyun hard enough to send him tumbling off the bed. “Call yourself stupid one more time and this will escalate into punching.”</p><p>“You know you can’t punch clients when you become a therapist, right?” Baekhyun huffs and stands to crawl back onto the bed. He sits with his legs crossed, facing Minseok. “I just…I actually liked someone for once and it sucks that he turned out to be a piece of shit.”</p><p>“I know,” Minseok says, and leans over to give Baekhyun a one-armed hug. “Not everyone is gonna treat you like that, though.”</p><p>Baekhyun lets his head fall back, and he tilts until his neck cracks and peeks an eye open; his phone is sitting on the nightstand. He briefly wonders if Sehun messaged him at some point after he left, some half-hearted, meaningless apology.</p><p>“Oh…what the fuck?”</p><p>Minseok leans over, squints at Baekhyun’s phone over his shoulder. “What?”</p><p>“Oh my god.” Baekhyun slaps a hand over his face and laughs. “I added my manager from work on Facebook last night when I was peak drunk.”</p><p>“Yikes,” is all Minseok says.</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
hello!</p><p><strong>Chanyeol</strong><br/>
uh hey, you added me!</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
I did! Im veer drink hoew<br/>
is your nigt?</p><p><strong>Chanyeol</strong><br/>
oh wow. uh my night is good lol<br/>
I’d ask you but I can already assume<br/>
your night is good.</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
its jyst an okay night :(</p><p><strong>Chanyeol</strong><br/>
I’m sorry!</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
its oay no worries.<br/>
Chanyeol we shoiold be friendds!!</p><p><strong>Chanyeol</strong><br/>
we are friends Baekhyun lol</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
ok good tht makeds me happy</p><p><strong>Chanyeol</strong><br/>
really? lol</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
yeahh! youre very cool</p><p><strong>Chanyeol</strong><br/>
well thank you, so are you.</p><p>Minseok cackles and Baekhyun punches him once before throwing his phone at his chest.</p><p>“Shut up. That’s so not funny, oh my god. I’m so embarrassing.”</p><p>“You sure are.”</p><p>“Shut up Minseok,” Baekhyun yells. “I can’t believe I added him. He probably thinks I was flirting with him. I have to quit my job.”</p><p>“Dramatic,” Minseok whispers, then flinches to avoid another swing from Baekhyun. “You kinda were flirting with him though.” Baekhyun lands his swing this time; Minseok groans and rubs his arm.</p><p>“I work in four hours and I’m going to quit, I swear to god.”</p><p> </p><p>An extremely heavy sigh is heaved as Baekhyun pauses in the parking lot, car keys in hand, to stare up at the grocery store before entering. He knows Chanyeol works today. He’s just somewhere in the building right now, doing his job, minding his own business. Baekhyun is nervous. Why is he nervous? He didn’t say anything bad, really, in the chat messages last night. He takes a final deep breath and steps into the building.</p><p>He finds himself repeating a mantra in his head as he approaches Chanyeol. Please don’t be weird, please don’t be weird, please don’t be weird. Chanyeol turns when Baekhyun stops behind him and smiles.</p><p>“I’m so glad you’re here. Three people called off and we need someone to do breaks today.”</p><p>“I’m your man.” Baekhyun cringes internally. “Just tell me where to go.”</p><p> </p><p>He ends up at a self-checkout covering someone’s lunch. He can see it in his peripherals that Chanyeol is walking toward him. He has to hold his breath because he knows what’s coming; he knows he’s about to be made fun of for last night. He just knows it, and isn’t looking forward to humiliation from yet another coworker.</p><p>Chanyeol stops a few feet away from him; he doesn’t speak, just stands there, and it makes Baekhyun fidget nervously.</p><p>“So…”</p><p>Baekhyun turns his head and closes his eyes, ready to be mortified.</p><p>“You were apparently very drunk last night.”</p><p>He turns to look at Chanyeol, willing the red in his cheeks to go down. “Yeah, sorry about that. I had kind of a weird night and, to be honest, I don’t even remember adding you.” He lets out a nervous laugh because Chanyeol hasn’t stopped grinning this whole time. “I didn’t know that we talked until I saw our messages this morning.”</p><p>“I can see you’re embarrassed right now, so I’ll drop the topic.”</p><p>Chanyeol laughs and Baekhyun feels relieved this conversation is over. “Yeah, sorry again.”</p><p>“Don’t be sorry,” Chanyeol shrugs, “it was cute.”</p><p>Baekhyun is a little too stunned to speak, so he just watches in silence as Chanyeol walks away. He doesn’t hear the customer trying to get his attention, too lost in the fact that his manager just called him cute. The woman waves an aggravated hand in his face and he shakes the weirdness off and gets back to work.</p><p> </p><p>During his break, Baekhyun finds himself reading through his and Chanyeol’s messages again. He’s so embarrassed. Why did he have to not only add his manager on Facebook, but send him drunk messages? He made it so far into life without making a fool of himself. It was bound to happen eventually.</p><p>“Hey.”</p><p>Baekhyun says “Hey” before looking up, but he recognizes the voice as Chanyeol’s. “You on break too?”</p><p>Chanyeol sits across from him and nods. “Yep. Today has been awful.”</p><p>“I bet.” Baekhyun puts his phone in his pocket and looks up. “Why though?”</p><p>“Eh.” Chanyeol shrugs and sets a paper bag on the table; he begins pulling various foods out of it. “Just lots of call offs. I don’t get why people apply for a job, and then just don’t show up when they’re scheduled. Like…they don’t expect to have to work or something.”</p><p>Baekhyun chuckles, “People are stupid.”</p><p>There’s ten minutes left of Baekhyun’s break, and he knows he’d look like an asshole if he just got up and walked away. He watches Chanyeol eat his lunch for a minute.</p><p>“So, are we friends then?”</p><p>Baekhyun blinks in confusion at the question. “Uh, what?”</p><p>Chanyeol finishes chewing and swallows his bite of food. “I mean, you texted me drunk last night. So, I just assume that makes us friends now?”</p><p>Baekhyun has to laugh at that. “We were friends before that.”</p><p>“Yeah but—” Chanyeol crumbles his lunch bag and tosses it toward the garbage can; he misses. “We were like, work friends. Now were actual friends. That’s how it works, right?”</p><p>Baekhyun searches for any flaw in Chanyeol’s logic, but can find none. “I mean, yeah. Sure.”</p><p>Chanyeol stands and swipes his little plastic bag of carrots off the table. “Okay cool. Maybe next time I’ll get drunk and message you.” He makes a stupid face and then exits the breakroom.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey Jongin, how can you tell if someone likes you?”</p><p>Jongin turns his head slowly, face twisted in confusion. He’s just trying to enjoy his pint of ice cream and this episode of Bob’s Burgers, but that doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen tonight. He pulls his spoon from his mouth and jams it into the ice cream before setting it on the table.</p><p>“Are we finally ready to talk about Sehun?”</p><p>Baekhyun grimaces, “Ew, god no. I’m not talking about him. Fuck him, he’s a dick.” He sits upright and leans forward, hugging his knees to his chest. “I think my manager at work has a crush on me.”</p><p>“You and these workplace romances,” Jongin chuckles. “What makes you think he likes you?”</p><p>“Well—” He pauses, trying to think of what it is that makes him think Chanyeol has a crush on him. “I guess, last week…I messaged him drunk as hell on Facebook and he told me he thought it was cute?” He narrows his eyes, knowing he doesn’t sound very convincing. “And like, Thursday! When I came home early, it was because he just let me leave an hour early.”</p><p>“Managers do that sometimes though, it’s nothing special.”</p><p>“Yeah but like, a bunch of other cashiers got mad because they asked to go home early and he told them no. But then he said yes to me.”</p><p>“You just always assume everyone is gay and has crush on you, huh?”</p><p>Baekhyun glares. “He actually is gay, thank you very much.”</p><p>Jongin puts his hands up between them, makes an exaggerated face. “Oh shit, you’re totally right then, he must be in love with you because he called you cute and let you leave early.” He rolls his eyes and picks his ice cream back up, shoves a big spoonful into his mouth. “Is he cute though?”</p><p>Baekhyun glares once again and they remain silent for a moment.</p><p>“He’s really tall,” Baekhyun says with a cheeky grin, and they both break out in laughter.</p><p> </p><p>Dark jeans…dark jeans. No, light jeans. Baekhyun has too many pairs of dark jeans already. He makes the decision and tosses the pair of light wash jeans into his little shopping bag a pushy employee demanded he take.</p><p>“Let me guess,” Jongdae says as he rounds the corner from the next aisle over, “another pair of ripped up skinny jeans?”</p><p>Baekhyun purses his lips. “You’re just jealous my ass looks so good in them and yours looks like a flat little pancake.” He sticks his tongue out, quickly retracting it when Minseok shows up behind Jongdae.</p><p>“Are you two being children again?”</p><p>“No!” they say in unison, very convincing.</p><p>Having days off line up is a rare occurrence for the three of them, so on days like today, when no one has classes or work, they make sure to hang out. Minseok fought hard to go see some psychology documentary at a little one-screen movie theater no one’s ever heard of, but he was easily overruled by Jongdae and Baekhyun who both demanded they go shopping.</p><p>They’re at the mall. Arguably, Baekhyun’s favorite place in the world, if you ignore the fragrance kiosk by the food court with the middle-aged man that demands you stop and smell whatever cologne he’s holding that day. Baekhyun has a love-hate relationship with him; he’s so pushy but so friendly, Baekhyun feels bad if he ignores him. Jongdae always pretends to be busy on his phone when they walk by. It works without fail and he escapes without harm.</p><p>“Baekhyun?”</p><p>He looks away from the man spraying cologne on his wrist and smiles. “Hey!” He leans back for a second, cocking his head. “It’s so weird to see you out of work uniform.”</p><p>Chanyeol throws his head back and laughs. “Nice to see you too.”</p><p>Baekhyun thanks the fragrance man and dismisses himself from the kiosk. Chanyeol dresses nice outside of work. Like, really nice. Baekhyun eyes his fashion for a second, mentally approving of each article of clothing. How much do managers make? Because, there’s no way Baekhyun could ever afford any of the brands Chanyeol is covered in.</p><p>“Are you here buying something from the Gucci store?” Baekhyun asks.</p><p>“There’s not a—” Chanyeol finally catches the sarcasm and squints. “Very funny. My clothes aren’t that expensive. You could probably afford them if you didn’t buy so many—” He leans forward, trying to peek into Baekhyun’s large Bath and Body Works bag. “Candles?”</p><p>Baekhyun hugs the bag to his chest. “Don’t you trash talk my candles! My room smells phenomenal.”</p><p>They chat for a little while longer; Chanyeol has to go get a few things, more expensive hoodies, Baekhyun assumes. They part ways and Baekhyun turns, but is stopped quickly in his tracks by his two friends staring at him from a distance.</p><p>“Who was that?” Jongdae asks when Baekhyun takes a seat at the table.</p><p>Minseok shoves a milkshake into his hands. Strawberry, nice.</p><p>“Chanyeol. God, this milkshake is good. He’s my manager, super cool.”</p><p>Minseok grins, an evil, evil smile. “Oh, so that’s him.”</p><p>“Please don’t,” Baekhyun begs, eyes closed.</p><p>“Him who?” Jongdae is bouncing excitedly in his chair.</p><p>“Can we please not talk about this?”</p><p>Jongdae kicks Baekhyun’s shin under the table. “We’re so talking about this.”</p><p>“You had a crush on me in high school, you don’t get to decide.”</p><p>“That is irrelevant and you know it,” Jongdae shoots back.</p><p>“It’s the manager Baekhyun got drunk and added, and then drunk messaged on Facebook the day things went to shit with the pretty boy from Junmyeon’s bachelor party.”</p><p>“You were fucking that hot guy?” Jongdae’s jaw drops. “I just thought you two were like cozy bros. How did you get a guy that hot to sleep with you?”</p><p>“You never fail to remind me why Minseok is my best friend.”</p><p>The conversation from there shifts to other topics. Work, school, Jongdae’s lack of a sex life. Baekhyun takes extra care to rub that in; Jongdae rebuts with the fact the last person Baekhyun slept with not only had a boyfriend, but was also super young. Baekhyun insists Sehun isn’t that young, and Minseok supplies that Sehun isn’t even old enough to legally drink.</p><p>They finish roasting each other, as best friends often do, and continue shopping like nothing happened. Minseok talks Baekhyun out of buying more candles, but he does buy some hand lotion he doesn’t need. Jongdae and Baekhyun gang up on Minseok, make him stuff himself into a white and pink floral romper; he looks fierce. Baekhyun takes many pictures, then they get kicked out of Forever 21 for being hooligans. They make a quick stop at the food court again so Baekhyun can get a smoothie, and call it a night.</p><p> </p><p>“Baekhyun, I have to be honest with you.”</p><p>Oh fuck, Baekhyun thinks, here it comes. Chanyeol is standing in front of the register he’s at, serious look on his face.</p><p>“I’m too old to use Facebook messenger. Can’t we just text like normal people?”</p><p>He’s relieved, but doesn’t let it show. Instead, he laughs and leans back, holding onto the ledge of his register to keep himself from falling. “What are you, like a year older than me?”</p><p>Chanyeol grins. “I’m flattered, honestly I am. But, no, I’m 35.”</p><p>“Holy shit!” Baekhyun yells. He realizes he’s at work and covers his mouth, then whispers, “Holy shit, you’re 8 years older than me? No way.”</p><p>“I’ll take that compliment, and your phone number if you don’t mind. I really do hate messenger. I don’t even like Facebook in general to be honest.”</p><p>Baekhyun rolls his eyes and holds his hand out for Chanyeol’s phone. “So old,” he teases as he types his number in. “There you go, grandpa. One hot, young boy’s phone number, just for you.” The second the words leave his mouth, he regrets them.</p><p>Chanyeol laughs, a little awkwardly, and thanks him.</p><p>“I’m sorry I just said that, it was super weird.”</p><p>“Super weird,” Chanyeol agrees. “I’m gonna go do manager things because I’m uncomfortable right now.”</p><p>“I’m so sorry,” Baekhyun rushes out when Chanyeol turns away. “I didn’t mean—”</p><p>“Relax, I’m just kidding. I mean I do have to go do my job, but you didn’t make me uncomfortable. No worries.”</p><p>Baekhyun glares. “Go away.”</p><p> </p><p>Steam just might be his favorite form of water. Is it a form of water? Condensation? He has no idea; he hated science in school. What he does know, however, is that the steam rising from this perfectly hot bath is doing wonders for this head cold.</p><p>He tips his head back against the little towel he has rolled up and takes a deep breath. Whoever invented bath bombs deserves a Nobel Prize. God, he wishes he worked at Lush instead of a grocery store; he’d love going to work.</p><p>The water begins to cool after a short while so he turns the faucet on, adding more hot water. When he sits back he stretches his legs out, letting one hang over the edge of the tub, and the other he props up, pressing his foot flat against the wall. This is heaven.</p><p>“I could live in this tub.”</p><p>Jongin laughs. He pulls his toothbrush out of his mouth and spits into the sink. “You’ve always loved baths.”</p><p>“You have toothpaste all over your chin,” Baekhyun says, pointing his foot in Jongin’s general direction.</p><p>“Yikes, put your leg down; I can totally see your junk right now.”</p><p>Baekhyun rolls his eyes, but listens to his brother. “You have no room to talk. You used to walk around naked all the time before you got used to me living with you. I’ve seen your dick enough times to probably need therapy.”</p><p>Jongin hums in amusement, remembering those times.</p><p>“Oh come on, no!” Baekhyun whines when Jongin grabs the waistband of his gym shorts. “You can’t just shit with me in the tub…the toilet is like two feet from my head.”</p><p>Jongin groans and walks to the door, stopping just before exiting the bathroom. “You have five minutes to drain the tub.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, poopy butt.”</p><p>Baekhyun is curled up on the couch, sadly nursing a mug of hot tea that’s mostly honey. He has a blanket draped over his shoulders and one covering his lap, but he’s still shivering…and sweating. Why is he sweating too? Is he dying?</p><p>Jongin sits by Baekhyun’s feet. “So we’re back to childhood nicknames, huh? This sickness has really changed you.”</p><p>Baekhyun coughs, sneezes twice, then glares at Jongin who holds the box of tissues out for him. “Keep making fun of me and I’ll cough on you.” He goes through another round of coughing and moans pathetically, covering his eyes with his arm.</p><p>“Baek, whatever you do, don’t go into the light!”</p><p>“I’m not dying, idiot.” He gives Jongin’s legs a few kicks, then pouts. “Nini, will you cuddle with me?”</p><p>“No way.”</p><p>“Come on, we used to cuddle all the time.” Jongin isn’t fazed. “I’m sick. Pretty please,” he whines.</p><p>“We used to cuddle when you were like 10, Baek.” He turns to look at Baekhyun, planning to give him a stern face, but he groans at how sad his baby brother looks. “Okay. Okay, fine. Get over here.”</p><p> </p><p>It’s pitch black and silent when Baekhyun opens his eyes. He stretches his arms above his head and twists to crack his back. He’s so warm, wrapped up in layers of blankets, and…in his bed.</p><p>He sits up slowly and tries to focus his eyes enough to read the time on the dimmed screen of the stupid Amazon device he never uses, but keeps on his desk for some reason. 1:04. He picks his favorite blanket from the pile and drapes it over his shoulders, cape style, and trudges out of his room.</p><p>Jongin is sitting on the couch, his little black-rimmed glasses perched at the tip of his nose as he reads. He doesn’t notice Baekhyun until he steps up beside him, thighs pressing into the arm of the couch. Jongin looks up and closes his book with a smile. He sets his book on the table and then stretches his arm out against the back of the couch.</p><p>“Come here.”</p><p>Baekhyun makes his sick, sad-boy face and shuffles over. He flops down and curls up into Jongin’s side; Jongin wraps his arm around Baekhyun’s shoulder and gives him a squeeze.</p><p>“Did baby Baekhyun have a nice nappy-nap?”</p><p>Baekhyun feels too miserable to fight right now; he just nods against Jongin’s arm. “Did you carry me to my bed?”</p><p>“Oh, definitely not. You got high on your cold medicine and wandered in there yourself.” He ruffles Baekhyun’s hair and coos at him. “You’re cute when you’re delirious.”</p><p>For a while they sit huddled together, watching whatever Jongin decides to pick on Netflix. Baekhyun is in and out of consciousness, still feeling the effects of the medicine he’d taken earlier. One of the times he raises his head, Jongin is nodding off to an episode of Law and Order. He smiles and nestles his cheek into Jongin’s side before falling back asleep.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The sound of Jongin’s horrendously annoying alarm wakes Baekhyun. He peeks an eye open; it’s light out and he’s still on the couch. He rolls over, wanting to get more comfortable, but Jongin jolts awake and starts coughing hard.</p><p>“Oh no, I got you sick.”</p><p>“Nope,” Jongin says, voice strained and raspy, “you kneed me in the balls.”</p><p> </p><p>Breakfast is…weird. Baekhyun can tell Jongin has something on his mind; he wants to talk about something. The only sound in the entire apartment is their forks scraping scrambled eggs from their plates. Baekhyun’s finished his bacon already, so Jongin scoops a few more pieces onto his plate for him. Jongin stands and takes his plate to the sink. With his back to Baekhyun he drops his plate carelessly and sighs, hands gripping tight onto the counter.</p><p>“We need to talk, Baekhyun.”</p><p>Baekhyun balls his napkin up and tosses it onto his empty plate. He stares at his brother, mind racing with worry. “Everything okay?”</p><p>“Come on, Baek, honestly.” Jongin returns to the table, taking the seat closest to Baekhyun this time. He slides Baekhyun’s coffee mug away from him so he can’t fidget with it. “You haven’t mentioned Sehun since the bachelor party. I don’t even know what happened between you two.” He tips his head down, trying to get Baekhyun’s attention. “Talk to me.”</p><p>“Do I have to?”</p><p>“Baekhyun.” Jongin uses his stern tone, the one he learned from Baekhyun’s mom growing up.</p><p>He could just get up and leave; Jongin may have that motherly tone, but he’s not his mother. Does he really have to sit and have this conversation? He wonders what he could even say. Sehun lead him on, lied to him, hurt his feelings. He doesn’t want to say any of that. He’d just look weak, and stupid. On the other hand, he knows Jongin would never think him weak or stupid. He sighs.</p><p>“Well, we were making out in the bathroom. And then I found out he never actually broke up with his boyfriend and was only using me for sex. So, long story short, he’s an asshole and probably the worst person in the world.”</p><p>Jongin is silent for a moment; Baekhyun only stares down at his hands in his lap.</p><p>“Shit, Baek. I’m sorry.”</p><p>“Don’t be, it’s fine. He wasn’t my boyfriend.” He shrugs. “My heart isn’t broken or anything. Like yeah, my feelings got a little hurt, but I’ve dealt with worse.”</p><p>Jongin nods, “That you have.”</p><p> </p><p>Because of the cold, Baekhyun decides to call off work. He waits until an hour before his shift and dials the number. A manager he doesn’t know answers and lets him know she’ll let his specific manager know he won’t be in today. Having a second day off in a row will be nice, but it would be better if he was being paid for it. Being able to breathe through his nose would be kinda nice, too.</p><p>He hangs up with the woman and yells through his open bedroom door for Jongin to order a pizza.</p><p>The entire time he eats, he complains about not being able to taste anything. He loves pizza; this is torture. He knows what ham and cheese should taste like. He knows what he wants it to taste like. But it all tastes like a vaguely tomato sauce flavored piece of bread. Jongin only laughs at him a little, because Baekhyun looks as miserable as he feels, and it’s no fun to make fun of someone suffering.</p><p>His little nose is pink around his nostrils from constant wiping and sneezing. His eyes are droopy and his skin is pale. He hasn’t bothered with his hair for three days and, at this point, he’s accepted the fact that he’s not going to change out of his pajamas no matter the time of day. He knows he’s being a baby; he could have probably managed his shift at work. But, there’s no guarantee that a customer yelling at him wouldn’t have sent him into a downward spiral of tears and snot.</p><p>Just as he’s about to take his third misery nap of the day, his phone rings and he groans because he knows he has to lean slightly forward to reach it on the table.</p><p>“Hello?”</p><p>“Uh, is this Baekhyun?”</p><p>“Yeah, who is this?”</p><p>“Oh hey, it’s Chanyeol.”</p><p>Baekhyun pulls his phone away from his ear to stare at the screen. Oh yeah, he gave Chanyeol his number.</p><p>“What’s up?”</p><p>“Just wanted to call and make sure you’re okay, I guess.”</p><p>Baekhyun doesn’t say anything.</p><p>“This is weird, I’m sorry. I’ll let you go, you probably wanna relax.”</p><p>“No, you’re good. Sorry, I’ve had a lot of cold medicine today, my brain isn’t working at full speed right now.”</p><p>Chanyeol laughs. “Well, I should get back to work. I hope you feel better.”</p><p>“Thanks, you too.” He hangs up and shakes his head; that made no sense.</p><p> </p><p>By some miracle, he’s feeling better when he wakes up in the morning. He gives himself a good look in the mirror while he’s brushing his teeth, and he grimaces. What has he let himself become? His hair is a greasy mess and it’s sticking up in random spots all over his head.</p><p>He’d never let anyone know other than Jongin, but this is his first shower in days. The hot water hitting him directly in the face is refreshing, and shampooing his hair feels like a religious experience. It feels like it’s been months since he’s cleaned himself. The bath doesn’t count; no one gets clean in a bath, they just stew in their own filth masked by the scent of a bath bomb.</p><p>Grabbing his work shirt from the floor in the corner brings him back to reality quickly after the shower. Two days off in a row was a treat. Two full days away from annoying coworkers and entitled customers, expired coupons, people trying to steal. God, he hates his job. But, he slips his polo on and shimmies into his pants, reluctantly leaving the comfort of home because he has to make money.</p><p> </p><p>He finds his name on the clipboard and all color drains from his face. This can’t be happening. Maybe he can fake sicker than he really is and get a manager to take pity on him and send him home. He can’t do this. He won’t do this. He asks a nearby coworker which manager is in today and breathes a sigh of relief.</p><p>“Chanyeol, I need a favor. I need you to put me literally anywhere but at the self-checkout.”</p><p>Chanyeol turns in his desk chair, pen still in hand, and looks up. “Uh, why? I thought you love self-checkout? I even put you down there with your little buddy.”</p><p>“Sehun is not my friend.”</p><p>Chanyeol doesn’t ask, but he nods and stands. He walks with Baekhyun over to the clipboard to see how he can rearrange things. He grabs his little work phone hanging from the clip on his pants. Baekhyun can see Sehun answer the phone.</p><p>“Baekhyun is gonna come down there, and then I need you to go cover a break on lane 19.”</p><p>Chanyeol hangs up and smiles at Baekhyun; he still doesn’t ask. “I’ll send someone down there to help you in a bit. I think someone comes in at 5:30.”</p><p>Baekhyun thanks Chanyeol and makes his way down to the self-checkout, holding his breath as he and Sehun pass each other without so much as a friendly smile. To be honest, Baekhyun doesn’t look up from the floor until he’s sure Sehun is long gone. He wants nothing to do with him.</p><p>At 5:30, just as Chanyeol said, another cashier comes in and is sent down to work with Baekhyun. She doesn’t come alone, however; Chanyeol follows closely behind her, pushing an empty shopping cart.</p><p>“Hey Baekhyun, can you help me do a shop down really quick?”</p><p>“Uhhh—” Baekhyun stares, he has no idea what a shop down is. He turns his head and sees a customer he knows and doesn’t like. “Absolutely I will come help you.”</p><p>A shop down, Baekhyun learns, is just walking around the whole store and collecting items customers put back in the wrong spot. He doesn’t understand why Chanyeol asked for his help, it seems to be an easy enough job. He grabs a package of porkchops sitting next to a box of Cheerios and tosses it into the now half-full cart. People really suck, he thinks, it’s not that hard to put things back where you got them from.</p><p>“Do you always do this?”</p><p>Chanyeol throws a pair of socks into the cart and shakes his head. “Grocery isn’t my department. This isn’t even my job, technically.”</p><p>Baekhyun struggles to comprehend why someone would do something that isn’t their job to do, especially at their pay rate.</p><p>“To be honest, I just wanted to ask you why you hate Sehun all of a sudden without all the gossipy ears around.”</p><p>Thoughtful, Baekhyun thinks. He nods slowly, grabs a box of crayons from the ice cream cooler, and wonders exactly how to answer that question. He isn’t even sure if coworkers are allowed to sleep with each other, so he’s certainly apprehensive about telling his manager the truth about this.</p><p>“I can tell you my guess, if you want,” Chanyeol says. He waits, and Baekhyun doesn’t answer. “I think you guys were sleeping together,” he says simply.</p><p>“Interesting,” is all Baekhyun can think to say.</p><p>“Interesting because I’m wrong, or interesting because I’m right?”</p><p>“Will I get in trouble if I say you’re right?”</p><p>Chanyeol laughs now. “Why would you get in trouble? I’m not your dad.”</p><p>“Yeah, but you’re my manager.”</p><p>“I manage cashiers, not your sex life.”</p><p>“Fair point.” They turn to go into the next aisle; Baekhyun grabs a half-eaten candy bar to place in the cart. “I just didn’t know if coworkers are like an off limits type thing here. I don’t wanna be fired because I have poor self-control.”</p><p>“I’m sure you don’t.”</p><p>“I think you’d have to argue that one with my best friend.”</p><p>“Perhaps,” Chanyeol nods. “Either way, you can sleep with coworkers and not get in trouble. If it was me, though, I’d get in trouble because I’m a manager.”</p><p>Baekhyun laughs quietly to himself at the thought. “So we can’t have sex then, bummer.”</p><p>Chanyeol laughs at the joke, but Baekhyun doesn’t miss the way his hands tighten around where they’re holding onto the shopping cart.</p><p>They continue walking the store at a slow pace while Baekhyun gives Chanyeol the details of what happened between him and Sehun. It proves to be quite a long story that he doesn’t finish until they’ve walked through the entire grocery section and made their way into the toy department. Everything Baekhyun touches here is sticky.</p><p>He realizes this is the first time he’s actually told anyone the full story. It’s a little weird that it’s to his manager, but it feels good to finally talk about it. He didn’t realize how angry he still is about this until he started calling Sehun names that made Chanyeol laugh.</p><p>Eventually, they have to make their way back up to the front of the store. Chanyeol knows too much, and Baekhyun feels like a weight has been lifted. It helps that Chanyeol agrees with him, that Sehun is, in fact, a huge asshole for what he did. He confesses to Baekhyun that he’s never liked Sehun anyway; he tells Baekhyun he thinks Sehun acts like he’s better than everyone and thinks he knows everything.</p><p>“He’s an idiot,” Baekhyun says. That’s the last of the conversation before they return to the self-checkout. Baekhyun is okay with Chanyeol knowing; he trusts him to not spread the information, but everyone else here loves to talk.</p><p>They get back to self-checkout and Sehun walks by them; he makes eye contact with Baekhyun this time. It makes Baekhyun terribly uncomfortable.</p><p>Chanyeol taps the other cashier on the shoulder to get her attention. “I’m gonna send someone down here to help you.”</p><p>“But, I’m here. I can—”</p><p>“You’re leaving early, remember?”</p><p>Baekhyun is confused. “Wha—”</p><p>“Yeah,” Chanyeol nods, widens his eyes, “you said you still weren’t feeling good and wanted to leave early? You can go now.”</p><p>“Oh. Oh!” Baekhyun fakes a quick cough. “Right, thank you.”</p><p>By the time he gets to his car, he has a text from Chanyeol.</p><p><strong>Chanyeol</strong><br/>
I do the schedule now,<br/>
I’ll make sure you two<br/>
don’t have any shifts together</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
thanks, I appreciate that</p><p>He stares through his windshield at the busy street in front of him and smiles.</p><p> </p><p>It’s a very weird day at work, likely because he got to leave early the day before and had an enjoyable night. So naturally, work has to pick up the slack and keep Baekhyun’s life just below the standard level of happiness.</p><p>He deals with a customer that accuses him of changing the prices, which Baekhyun explains is literally impossible for him to do at the register. Then, an elderly man calls him a slur because his tomatoes aren’t on sale; Baekhyun’s explanation that the sale ended last week is near incomprehensible to the man. And finally, just at the halfway mark of his shift, his coworker comes to put the nail in the coffin.</p><p>The girl comes over to send him on break. She’s got an ugly expression and a snotty tone. She’s not someone Baekhyun has ever been very close with, so it comes as a shock when she opens her mouth, accusing him of sleeping with Chanyeol. He doesn’t know how to respond to that; of course he’s not sleeping with Chanyeol. That’s ridiculous.</p><p>That’s what he tells her, along with the fact that he doesn’t appreciate her attitude toward him. But, this girl came with facts prepared, and she’s not afraid to use them against Baekhyun.</p><p>Chanyeol lets you leave early whenever you want to. He’s always talking to you more than everyone else. He lets you get away with everything. And, you’re both gay.</p><p>Baekhyun can’t exactly deny any of this; he and Chanyeol are friends, so of course he gets special treatment. If you could even call it that. But, he refuses to let this girl tarnish his reputation at work. Not without a fight at least.</p><p>So he tells her the truth. They’re friends, simple as that. Yes, Chanyeol has let him leave early a few times, but it isn’t Baekhyun’s fault that no one else ever asks him to leave early too. He tells the girl he has no idea what things she’s talking about him getting away with. He says that maybe he just actually does his job correctly, so he has no reason to get in trouble like everyone else. He finishes off his defense by pointing out how stupid she sounds saying that just because they’re both gay they have to be having sex.</p><p>Still, she refuses to let it go. She prods at Baekhyun, urges him to quit lying. She knows something is going on between them; she insists.</p><p>Baekhyun finally has enough of her ridiculous speculation and slams his hands flat on the counter between them.</p><p>“Listen, I don’t really give a fuck what you think, okay? Your opinion of me doesn’t matter.” He pauses for a second, gaining enough composure to not get himself fired. “I don’t even know your name.”</p><p>He ends his outburst by giving her a once over and rolling his eyes before proudly strolling away, feeling accomplished.</p><p>It isn’t until he gets to the breakroom that he realizes the seriousness of what he’s just done. He knows how the people here work; he knows getting defensive makes you look guilty to them. He takes a large bite from his vending machine sandwich and blows out a calming breath.</p><p>“Fuck.”</p><p>This is not going to end well.</p><p> </p><p>He returns to his register, making sure to sneer at the girl before she walks away. He may be terrified of the consequences on the inside, but outside he wants her to think he’s unfazed. So he turns to his customer with a smile and greets him happily, like the crushing weight of his future downfall isn’t currently eating away at his sanity.</p><p>“Hello, how are you to—”</p><p>All the fake enthusiasm instantly leaves his body; he puts his hand on his hip and huffs.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>Sehun smiles; Baekhyun wants to smack it off of his face.</p><p>“I’m not allowed to come say hi?”</p><p>Baekhyun grabs Sehun’s first item and scans it, then he tosses it carelessly into the bag. “I’d rather you didn’t.” He scans another item and tosses it on top of the first one, hoping the can will crush his loaf of bread. “I have nothing to say to you.”</p><p>“Oh, come on,” Sehun says. He props his elbow up on the counter and rolls his eyes like Baekhyun is being dramatic for no reason. “Are you seriously not going to be my friend anymore over something stupid?”</p><p>Baekhyun drops the item in his hand back on the conveyor belt, rage flooding his body, blurring his vision. His day has already been terrible; he can’t handle this right now. He knew Sehun was an asshole, but he didn’t think the kid was a fucking moron, too.</p><p>He has to take a few deep breaths, his teeth pressing deep into his bottom lip to keep his jaw clenched shut. He can feel himself shaking, unsure if it’s from the screaming he’s trying desperately to keep in or the restraint it’s taking not to hit Sehun right now.</p><p>“Get out of my lane,” Baekhyun says as calmly as he can manage. Sehun doesn’t move, though, he just smirks. “I swear to god if you don’t get away from me I’ll—”</p><p>“Baekhyun, can I see you for a second?”</p><p>He turns to see Chanyeol standing by the door to his office; he nods his head, signaling Baekhyun to walk over.</p><p>Baekhyun leaves Sehun standing alone at the register and enters the small room with Chanyeol. He takes a seat in a chair and stares expectantly.</p><p>“If this is about when I yelled at—”</p><p>Chanyeol chuckles. “I don’t care what you said to her; she’s a bitch. I’m just trying to get you out of a situation that looked like it was gonna end with me having to fire you.”</p><p>Baekhyun opens his mouth then quickly closes it. “Thanks,” he says eventually. “He’s so annoying.”</p><p>“Agreed,” Chanyeol nods. “Also, I’m really sorry that people at work think something is going on between us. I don’t know how that rumor started.”</p><p>“People? More than one?” Baekhyun falls back in the chair and covers his face with both hands. “Perfect.”</p><p>“Yeah, I’ve had a couple different people ask me about it today.”</p><p>“I’m sorry.” Baekhyun sighs, looks up at Chanyeol still standing in the doorway. “I feel like maybe I shouldn’t be sitting in here alone with you right now. The nosy idiots we work with will think I’m blowing you or something.”</p><p>“No, I’d definitely close the door first.” He watches Baekhyun raise an eyebrow at him. “Just a joke. You’re probably right though.”</p><p>Baekhyun stands and shakes off his aggravation. “Alright, thanks for saving me. I’m going back out there now.” He stops just outside the office and turns back to Chanyeol. “Oh and, you’re welcome for the blow job.” He instantly grimaces and shakes his head. “Yikes, that was a terrible joke under the present circumstances.”</p><p>Chanyeol laughs, though. “Would it really have been better under different circumstances?”</p><p>“Definitely not.”</p><p>Chanyeol rolls his eyes and waves Baekhyun off. “Go do your job.”</p><p> </p><p>Jongin is staring from across the table, holding his chopsticks somewhere between his plate and his mouth. He tips his head to the side, narrows his eyes, and then tosses his head in the other direction.</p><p>“Um, Baek?”</p><p>Baekhyun looks up and chews for another moment before responding. “What?”</p><p>“Care to tell me why you’re aggressively eating rice right now?”</p><p>Baekhyun huffs and jams his spoon into his bowl, then shoves a humorous amount of rice into his mouth. “No,” he mumbles.</p><p>Jongin sets his chopsticks down and folds his hands in front of him on the table. He doesn’t say anything, just observes his brother for a moment. Baekhyun is stabbing at that bowl of rice like he hates it, like the rice dishonored their family.</p><p>“You sure you—”</p><p>“Yes!” Baekhyun shouts, spewing rice onto the table. He takes a moment to chew, then swallow, and he sets his spoon down. “I’m very sure I don’t want to talk about how all my coworkers think I’m fucking my manager to get special treatment.”</p><p>Jongin opens his mouth to express his shock, but is cut off by his brother.</p><p>“I definitely don’t want to talk about how I made a joke to said manager about sucking his dick.” He sits forward to place his hands flat on the table. “And, I sure as hell don’t want to talk about Sehun coming through my line and talking to me like I would actually still want to be friends with him.”</p><p>“So…” Jongin says slowly, slightly scared of the level of childish anger radiating from Baekhyun. “I can see you had a bad day today. Why don’t we talk about it?”</p><p>Baekhyun bangs his hands on the table and stands. He picks up all of his dishes and takes them to the sink. “I just told you I don’t want to.” He turns the faucet on and begins washing his dishes, glaring at them for having the audacity to be dirty.</p><p>“I just can’t believe people at my work are so stupid, you know?” He turns to Jongin and waits for him to nod his agreement. “Like, what the fuck. Chanyeol and I are literally just friends. Sometimes friends do friends favors.” He grits his teeth and gives a pissed off scrub to the rice stuck to his bowl. “So he’s let me leave early a bunch of times. Big deal. They act like I’m the only person in the history of working retail that’s ever gone home early.”</p><p>“You might be,” Jongin jokes. He immediately regrets it when Baekhyun turns around with fire in his eyes. He makes an apologetic gesture and pretends to lock his mouth with an invisible key.</p><p>Baekhyun places his dishes in the drying rack and starts wiping the water from the edge of the sink off with a towel. When he’s finished, he throws the towel into the sink and turns around, propping himself up against the counter. He sighs.</p><p>“You know, god forbid two gay guys be friends. I’m so sick of straight people, I swear.”</p><p>“They’re the worst.”</p><p>“Jongin, you’re straight.”</p><p>“Mostly,” Jongin shrugs.</p><p>Baekhyun shakes his head and begins pacing. “I mean like, yeah, Chanyeol is hot and cool. Super funny. But like, that doesn’t mean I’m sleeping with him.” He sits back in his seat and pouts. “I wish you could come to work with me and bully people for me like you used to do in school.”</p><p>“I think that would be considered assault now.”</p><p>“You’re not helping.” Baekhyun rubs his temples with his fingers and groans. “I hate my job. Chanyeol was like the one good thing about working there, and now it’s ruined because of stupid people and their stupid rumors.”</p><p>They sit in silence for a moment, Jongin just looking at Baekhyun with his head down, face pressed against the table. Baekhyun’s head whips up so fast it almost makes Jongin jump.</p><p>“I should just say fuck all those people and start hanging out with Chanyeol, really give them something to gossip about.”</p><p>“Yeah, that’ll really show ‘em,” Jongin says sarcastically. He watches Baekhyun stand and walk away. He stops halfway to the living room and turns; he opens his mouth, closes it, and shakes his head before finally walking away. “Oh Baekhyun, you poor, oblivious idiot.”</p><p> </p><p>There’s a fine line between doing something out of anger and just being stupid; Baekhyun has yet to realize this, though he’s crossed that line many times. Like the time Yixing broke his heart, when he collected everything Yixing had ever given him and set it on fire in the bathtub. He’d almost burned the house down and his mother wanted to kill him. He didn’t learn the difference between anger and stupidity, but he did learn to probably never douse cloth with lighter fluid and drop a match on it in the house again. Jongin still brings this up at least twice a year, or any time someone lights a candle near Baekhyun.</p><p>He will unknowingly cross that line again today.</p><p> </p><p>“You know what I was thinking?” Baekhyun is standing behind Chanyeol, watching him try to fix the screen at his register; it froze in the middle of a transaction. “We should hang out.”</p><p>Chanyeol looks back at Baekhyun, only for a second, then continues pressing random buttons. “Uh, I don’t really think that’s like…a good idea.”</p><p>“Why not?”</p><p>“Well, everyone at work already thinks something is going on with us. Which is bad. I don’t want to get fired.” He decides to just restart the register and see if that fixes anything. He faces Baekhyun now and presses his lips into a thin line. “And, I also don’t think my boyfriend would like it very much.”</p><p>Baekhyun makes a face and rolls his eyes. “We’re just friends, Chanyeol. Friends are allowed to hang out with each other.”</p><p>“I…well yeah, I know. I’m just saying.” He turns back to the register and waits for the screen to come back on. “It could just…be bad, is all mean.”</p><p>“Like how?”</p><p>Chanyeol doesn’t give Baekhyun an answer. The screen lights up and the register beeps a few times. “There, it’s fixed. I have to go do paperwork in the office.”</p><p>Baekhyun steps up to the register with a frown. Chanyeol totally just dodged his question.</p><p> </p><p>He makes it his mission to convince Chanyeol to hang out with him after that. Every day they work together, Baekhyun makes sure to slip in the suggestion at some point during their conversations, which begin to happen more often.</p><p>At the store, there are two separate self-checkout areas, one by the grocery department, and one at the other end by the makeup. The one by grocery has ten registers, so two cashiers work it. The other, smaller self-checkout only has four registers, so it’s easily handled by a lone cashier.</p><p>Baekhyun has a love-hate relationship with the small self-checkout. It’s a lot less work and fewer customers to deal with, but it’s near unbearable with no one to talk to. It seems like Baekhyun has been sent to the small, desolate wasteland every shift for the last two weeks. Oddly enough, it also seems Chanyeol has spent a large chunk of his time standing beside Baekhyun, keeping him company during what would otherwise be a lonely, boring night.</p><p>He’s too stupid to realize what’s going on.</p><p>When it’s nearing week three of Baekhyun pestering Chanyeol to hang out with him he’s almost ready to give up. There’s always an excuse why they can’t hang out: coworkers might see them, his boyfriend might get mad, he has to work early the next day. But, Baekhyun is determined to make it happen, and tonight is going to be it; Baekhyun’s sure of it.</p><p>He’s been fucking around with Chanyeol for the last hour or so. The store is dead; no customers, five cashiers including Baekhyun, and Chanyeol is the only manager there tonight. It’s a ghost town. So, goofing off is really the only option.</p><p>“What time are you off tonight?”</p><p>Baekhyun has an hour left of his shift, so he’s wiping the registers down, getting the day’s layer of customer grime off of them. “Ten,” he says.</p><p>Chanyeol nods, “You wanna just turn these registers off and come help me do a shop down for your last hour?” He watches Baekhyun peek across the store at the other cashiers, all standing around with nothing to do. “I can always go ask one of them to help instead.”</p><p>Baekhyun tosses his rag down and crosses his arms. “And leave me here with no one to talk to for a whole hour? I don’t think so.”</p><p>They work together to shut the registers down and finish cleaning them. Chanyeol goes to grab an empty cart and they begin walking.</p><p>“So, what time are you off tonight?”</p><p>“10:30,” Chanyeol says, “You can always stay later to keep me company.” He flashes Baekhyun a goofy, yet still charming smile, then frowns when Baekhyun says absolutely not. “Wow, and I thought we were friends. That’s fucked up, man.”</p><p>Baekhyun laughs and gives Chanyeol a weak shove. “I refuse to stay here longer than I’m supposed to. I hate this place.”</p><p>“That’s fair.”</p><p>They put in an effort toward diligence, but paired together they’re idiots and spend most of the time chatting and poking fun at each other. Baekhyun wonders, in the middle of laughing at something Chanyeol said, when it became so easy to talk to him. They spend so much time together at work, Baekhyun never realized how close they’ve become in a few short months. They laugh a lot and tease each other and—</p><p>Chanyeol smiles just then; the dimple in his cheek appears, and it finally clicks in Baekhyun’s little, stupid brain. Chanyeol isn’t the one with the crush…he is.</p><p>Oh no.</p><p>He takes his phone out and sends a quick text to Jongin, a panicked realization.</p><p><strong>Jongin</strong><br/>
I was wondering when you’d figure that out.<br/>
Soo owes me $10, he said it would take you<br/>
another month to realize you liked him</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
you guys were betting on me!!??</p><p><strong>Jongin</strong><br/>
You live an eventful life.<br/>
Like the lead in a drama lol</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
I hate you guys so much</p><p><strong>Jongin</strong><br/>
Hey, the lead always gets the girl<br/>
so that’s a compliment.</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
Chanyeol isn’t a girl, he’s a<br/>
guy with a boyfriend</p><p><strong>Jongin</strong><br/>
I think I’ve actually seen that drama<br/>
before.</p><p>Baekhyun is so annoyed by that response he doesn’t reply. Why did he expect Jongin to do anything other than make fun of him? He shakes his head.</p><p>“Everything alright?”</p><p>Baekhyun locks his phone and slides it into his pocket. “Yeah, just my brother being stupid.”</p><p> </p><p>Before he knows it, it’s five after ten and Baekhyun is punching out for the night, ready to get out of this place and spend the night lying in his bed freaking out over his newfound crush. He tells Chanyeol bye, waves to a few other coworkers, and leaves.</p><p>It’s all he can think about on the short drive home; he actually has a crush on his manager, like a fool. He knows it’s not possible, they can’t date or even hang out. But, Baekhyun’s never really been one to take no for an answer.</p><p>He gets home, determined as ever, and pulls his phone out.</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
hear me out</p><p><strong>Chanyeol</strong><br/>
Oh no, this can’t be good…</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
lets hang out tonight when<br/>
you get off work</p><p><strong>Chanyeol</strong><br/>
okay</p><p>Baekhyun almost throws his phone, not expecting that response. Did he really just say yes to hanging out? He read and rereads the text, wanting to be sure there’s no confusion.</p><p><strong>Chanyeol</strong><br/>
what do you wanna do?</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
idk. I wasn’t expecting you to yes yes tbh</p><p><strong>Chanyeol</strong><br/>
why not?</p><p><strong>Baekhyun</strong><br/>
you always say no.<br/>
lets go to the arcade!<br/>
I know one that’s open really late</p><p><strong>Chanyeol</strong><br/>
send the address, ill meet you there</p><p> </p><p>Baekhyun’s excitement quickly turns into panic, so he does the only thing he can think of: he runs into Jongin’s room and dramatically flings himself onto his bed.</p><p>“Can I help you,” Jongin says, tipping his book down just enough to peek over at his brother.</p><p>“I think I’m going on something resembling a date.”</p><p>“If you tell me it’s with Sehun I’m going to smack you,” Jongin says without hesitation, raising his hand in preparation.</p><p>Baekhyun rolls onto his stomach and sits up, crossing his legs in front of him. “C’mon Jongin, we both know I’m not that stupid.”</p><p>They stare at each other in silence, momentarily weighing the truth behind that statement. Jongin shrugs and Baekhyun rolls his eyes.</p><p>“It’s with Chanyeol.” He rubs his hands over his eyes, stressed beyond belief. “I’ve been pestering him for a month to hang out with me and he always says no, but he said yes this time, so we’re meeting in less than an hour at the arcade and I’m freaking out!”</p><p>“Wow, that was all one sentence,” Jongin sounds impressed. “Why are you freaking out? You’re the one who wanted him to hang out with you.”</p><p>He pauses for a moment, deciding whether or not to tell Jongin the true reason behind his apprehension. Should he tell his brother that Chanyeol has a boyfriend that he’s been with for a very long time, regardless of how terrible the relationship seems? It would make him seem no better than Sehun.</p><p>He ultimately decides against the truth. Instead, he glares; how dare his brother not understand exactly what he’s feeling right now. “I know,” he whines, “but now that I actually like him I don’t wanna hang out with him.”</p><p>Jongin opens his mouth, wanting to point out the contradiction, but the anger in Baekhyun’s eyes has him snapping his mouth shut.</p><p>“I didn’t think he’d say yes and now I have to figure out what to wear and style my hair and…” He throws himself back and groans. “I hate myself right now.”</p><p> </p><p>Thirty minutes later finds Baekhyun parking his car and stepping out, scanning the dark parking lot for Chanyeol who’d texted him a few minutes ago that he was already there and waiting for him. He’s stupidly tall, so Baekhyun spots him quickly, leaning attractively against his driver’s side door.</p><p>Baekhyun takes a moment for a little pep talk before getting out and slowly making his way toward Chanyeol. He’s seen him once before outside of work, but this time he’s dressed super hot and it’s killing him, making his palms sweat more with each step closer he gets.</p><p>The first thing out of Baekhyun’s mouth when he steps up to Chanyeol, his ridiculously tall body blocking the streetlight from Baekhyun’s eyes, is: “So, what made you say yes this time?”</p><p>Chanyeol chuckles as they begin walking toward the doors of the arcade, nervously shoves his hands in his hoodie pockets. “Honestly?” He quickly eyes Baekhyun, but looks ahead again before answering. “My boyfriend is at work until like 8am, so he won’t know I’m not home.”</p><p>Ah, right. The boyfriend, Baekhyun thinks as he opens the door for Chanyeol to enter first. He watches Chanyeol take a few steps, smiles to himself before hurrying to catch up with his long strides.</p><p>There aren’t many people in the arcade, but it’s still extremely loud inside. Hundreds of machines all beeping and ringing, a few high school aged kids shouting and laughing. There’s a small bowling alley to one side of the building where the older men are gathered, pretending to be professional bowlers instead of just having fun.</p><p>Baekhyun is in sensory overload and it’s fantastic, filling him with excitement and energy, and he just wants to take Chanyeol by the hand and drag him along to every arcade game with him. But, he doesn’t.</p><p>Instead, they walk calmly over to the machine that spits out the cards used to play the games, and Chanyeol refuses to let Baekhyun spend any money to put credits on his own card. Baekhyun argues, and loses, but thanks Chanyeol over and over because he’d spent $200 between their two cards.</p><p>Chanyeol has never been here, but Baekhyun has, and he brags about how amazing he is at a certain game. So they hunt it down and Baekhyun turns to Chanyeol standing behind him, watching, and grins proudly, tells him to watch the master at work.</p><p>He loses the game and Chanyeol laughs hysterically.</p><p>From there, they just wander around aimlessly playing random games. They enjoy the two player shooting games where they get to compete with each other for the highest score. Baekhyun always wins, but tries his best to tone down his bragging for Chanyeol’s sake.</p><p>There are a couple games with instructions strictly in Japanese, which neither can read, but they play anyway. Smashing random buttons and laughing, and pushing each other away from the controls when it seems like one of them may be winning.</p><p>“Here you go,” Chanyeol says when he returns to the table, handing off a beer to Baekhyun as he sits and takes a sip from his own. “This place is so cool, I’ve never even heard of it before.”</p><p>“That’s probably because you’re so old,” Baekhyun teases. “I’ve been here a few times and I keep coming back because I want enough points to get the giant Rilakkuma from the prize shop.”</p><p>“You’re such a little kid,” Chanyeol chuckles. “It’s been a really long time since I’ve had this much fun.”</p><p>Baekhyun sets his drink on the table and sits forward. “What, you and your boyfriend don’t go do fun stuff together?” The way Chanyeol’s face falls makes him wish he hadn’t asked the question. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked that.”</p><p>“No, it’s okay.” He sighs, but there’s still a small smile on his face, though it’s likely bitter. “We don’t do anything together except fight. It’s been like that for a long time.”</p><p>“Why do you stick around then?” He knows he shouldn’t ask that. He knows it’s none of his business. But, Chanyeol is, from Baekhyun’s perspective, too good of a person to waste his time in an unhappy relationship.</p><p>“I don’t know,” Chanyeol answers honestly. He stares at Baekhyun like he’ll find the answer in his eyes. “I’ve been with him for so long, I don’t know anything else.”</p><p>Baekhyun’s heart breaks for him. He can’t imagine being in Chanyeol’s position, being so used to being mistreated, cheated on, constant fighting. He doesn’t know what to say, so he just smiles and stands, waving the hand not holding his beer for Chanyeol to follow.</p><p>“Let’s go play some games.”</p><p> </p><p>At 2am, when the arcade workers begin closing up and kick them out, they make their way into the parking lot, still laughing about the giant stuffed hamburger Chanyeol won with the very last credit he had on his card.</p><p>Baekhyun had spent half his time there circling back to the machine, trying desperately to win the stupid thing because it has a little face and is so cute. So, when Chanyeol suggested using his final credit on their way out, Baekhyun bitterly and reluctantly told him good luck. They’d both watched it fall into the opening and down into the prize door with awe and disbelief, then high fived before throwing themselves into a joyous hug they’d quickly pulled out of.</p><p>“I still can’t believe you won it,” Baekhyun laughs, watching Chanyeol dance the stuffed prize around in front of him. “You’re so lucky.”</p><p>“Here,” Chanyeol says, holding the hamburger out to Baekhyun. “You keep it, you’re the one who wanted it.”</p><p>Baekhyun takes it with a smile and thanks Chanyeol, and suddenly feels the urge to kiss him. But he doesn’t. He can’t; Chanyeol has a boyfriend, he has to remind himself.</p><p>“Do you work tomorrow?” Chanyeol nods. “Well, then I’ll see you tomorrow.”</p><p> </p><p>After hanging out with Chanyeol, Baekhyun feels like he’s keeping a huge secret at work. No one can know that they see each other outside of work. Not only because it would create a hostile work environment for Baekhyun, but because Chanyeol could get fired. So, they keep their mouths shut and act like civil coworkers.</p><p>They text nearly non-stop now, even while at work. Baekhyun will text Chanyeol that he’s bored and ask him to come talk to him, or they’ll make fun of eccentric customers through secret messages. It’s thrilling, in a way, to text someone you’re in the same building as so that no one knows you’re speaking with each other.</p><p>At times, Baekhyun accidentally lets his crush slip out while at work. He’ll laugh just a little too loud at Chanyeol’s joke, smile a little too big up at him, playfully slap his arm when he’s being stupid. Chanyeol, if he does harbor any feelings more than friendship, is much better at hiding them than Baekhyun is.</p><p>A week after the arcade, Chanyeol comes to work with a bruise and a small cut across his eyebrow. When Baekhyun hears from a coworker that it’s from his boyfriend throwing his phone at him, he can’t help but worry it’s because of him somehow.</p><p>But, his fear is turned to anger after a quick talk with Chanyeol who informs him that his boyfriend doesn’t know they text or went to the arcade, he’s just like that. He just ‘throws stuff sometimes’. Baekhyun wants to shake Chanyeol by the shoulders and scream at him that that’s not normal, that he shouldn’t say that so casually, like every relationship involves having to dodge inanimate objects being launched at them. But, he doesn’t. Instead, he asks Chanyeol to hang out with him again that night.</p><p>To Baekhyun’s pleasant surprise, Chanyeol agrees.</p><p> </p><p>This time, unlike before, Baekhyun isn’t nervous and even agrees to let Chanyeol pick him up at his house. They chat happily on the drive to the bar Chanyeol insisted they go to. Someplace Baekhyun has never been, or even heard of, that Chanyeol promises is super cool.</p><p>The bar is, in fact, super cool. It’s one of those hipster places with hundreds of local beers on tap, all with strange names and weird flavor combinations. The bar tenders have matching shirts with witty sayings about alcohol on them, and tattoos or wild hair colors and styles.</p><p>Baekhyun is in love with this place.</p><p>He orders a beer called ‘Tactical Nuclear Penguin’ and is horrified to find out that the 32% alcohol by volume on the menu was, indeed, not a misprint. Each sip tastes like a shot of tequila and a punch to the chest, but the way Chanyeol laughs at the face he makes with every drink makes it worth it.</p><p>Chanyeol’s beer, on the other hand, doesn’t come with a silly name or a lethal percent of alcohol volume and Baekhyun thinks it’s actually pretty tasty.</p><p>“Switch with me,” Chanyeol insists. He reaches across the round table and drags Baekhyun’s glass closer to himself, then pushes his own toward Baekhyun who reluctantly takes it.</p><p>“But it’s gross though, I don’t want you to have to drink it.”</p><p>Chanyeol just rolls his eyes and shrugs as he sips from the glass, giving Baekhyun a playful wink when the taste doesn’t give him the chills like it did to Baekhyun.</p><p>“You’re much stronger than I am,” Baekhyun says, thoroughly impressed.</p><p>“And taller, too,” Chanyeol jokes, then winces when Baekhyun kicks his shin under the table. “Okay, okay. I’m sorry.”</p><p>“Better be.”</p><p> </p><p>They share a giant plate of nachos made with pulled pork instead of beef. Then, after a few more wildly named beers each, order a plate of fries to share. Chanyeol cuts himself off at his third beer, because he has to drive home, but they continue sitting in their booth carrying on with a silly conversation.</p><p>“I can’t believe you’ve never used snapchat,” Baekhyun shouts, mostly shocked, partially too drunk to control the volume of his voice. “You really are old, huh?”</p><p>Chanyeol glares at that small jab, and Baekhyun pauses for a moment to enjoy the lines of his handsome face.</p><p>“Come here,” he finally says, motioning for Chanyeol to slide across the booth toward him. He sees the discomfort in Chanyeol’s expression and sighs dramatically, giving him an exaggerated eye roll. “Fine, I’ll come to you.”</p><p>He hops a few times until he’s pressed against Chanyeol’s side and holds his phone up, snapchat open, a cute filter already on, and smiles wide. He glares when he notices Chanyeol isn’t smiling too, and elbows him.</p><p>“Smile with me,” he insists, and Chanyeol does. “Oh, we look cute!” He saves the picture to his album and puts his phone back on the table.</p><p>“We should probably get going, it’s pretty late,” Chanyeol says as he checks his watch.</p><p>Baekhyun wants to pout; he thought they were having fun. Maybe the picture was crossing the line and he’d made Chanyeol uncomfortable.</p><p>“Don’t overthink it,” Chanyeol says with a cheeky grin, “I’m just an old man and it’s way past my bedtime.”</p><p> </p><p>Chanyeol lets Baekhyun connect his phone to the car on the drive home and he plays all of his favorite songs and sings his little heart out until the moment they pull up in front of his house.</p><p>Baekhyun plans on just trotting drunkenly up to his door and going inside to fall asleep immediately, but Chanyeol gets out of the car as well and walks him to the door.</p><p>“I had a lot of fun tonight,” Chanyeol says as he stands in front of Baekhyun with a smile.</p><p>“Me too!” Baekhyun is still having trouble keeping his volume at a decent level. “We should go there a—”</p><p>He’s cut off by Chanyeol’s lips against his. He’s so shocked he gasps instead of returning the kiss, and so, Chanyeol pulls away, worried he’d misread things.</p><p>“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have done that.”</p><p>“You have a boyfriend,” Baekhyun says, hand covering his mouth.</p><p>“I know,” Chanyeol says, eyes downcast, shoulders slumped. He sighs, “I know I do, it’s just…” Another sigh, and then he runs his hands through his hair, nerves getting the best of him. “I don’t love him. I haven’t for a long time. I don’t think he ever loved me.”</p><p>Baekhyun uncovers his mouth and frowns, wraps his arms around himself as he watches Chanyeol speak.</p><p>“And you…fuck, you’re like a breath of fresh air. You make me laugh and we have fun together…at work!” He laughs, and Baekhyun does too because he knows how miserable that grocery store can be at times. “Do you have any idea how long it’s been since I laughed like I have tonight?”</p><p>“No,” Baekhyun mumbles.</p><p>“A really long fucking time, Baekhyun. You have no idea how good it feels to be around you. I feel like I can relax and be myself for the first time in years.”</p><p>“That’s great,” Baekhyun says, “but, it doesn’t change the fact you do have a boyfriend. We can hang out and be friends, but I’m not trying to help anyone else cheat. I’m not that kind of person.”</p><p>Chanyeol looks away, clearly disappointed in his own actions. “I know, and I’m so sorry. I just…I really like you, Baekhyun.”</p><p>Against his better judgement, Baekhyun looks up with a small smile, “I like you too,” he says. “But I mean it when I say it doesn’t change anything.” He takes a step back and a deep breath. “I’m not going to let you cheat on your boyfriend, no matter how shitty he is.”</p><p>“I understand,” Chanyeol says solemnly, but there’s a hint of a smile on his lips. “Goodnight, Baekhyun.”</p><p>“Goodnight.” He grabs the doorknob and opens the door, but stops before he steps inside. He turns back to Chanyeol who’s already on his way back to the car. “Chanyeol?”</p><p>“Yeah?” Chanyeol says, turning back with curious eyes.</p><p>“If he hits you, or throws something at you again, I’ll beat his ass.”</p><p> </p><p>Instead of the events of that night driving them apart, they only get closer in the weeks that follow.</p><p>Chanyeol downloads snapchat only to quickly regret the numerous selfies Baekhyun sends him. Especially when he’s at work. Chanyeol always responds with an angry-faced selfie telling Baekhyun to get back to work.</p><p>Every one of their coworkers recognizes a change in Chanyeol; he’s got a bounce in his step, an elderly cashier tells him one day. He peeks over at Baekhyun standing at a register nearby and grins. Baekhyun doesn’t know what it’s about, but he smiles back, adding a cute little two-handed wave.</p><p> </p><p>“Baekhyun, hey, Baekhyun!”</p><p>He looks around, trying to see who’s calling his name. He rolls his eyes when he sees it’s the bitch cashier that accused him of sleeping with Chanyeol. He puts on his best customer service smile, deciding to be the bigger person, and takes a few steps toward her.</p><p>“Did you hear?”</p><p>“What?” He asks, annoyed when she doesn’t just come right out with it.</p><p>“Chanyeol broke up with his boyfriend. Now you can go for it without being a homewrecker.”</p><p>If Baekhyun’s brain wasn’t shorting out right now, he’d have something snotty to say to her in return. Instead, he just puts his hand in her face as she continues running her mouth and walks away. He has a tall, hot manager to find right now.</p><p>He stops and takes a step back into the aisle between the shoes and the clothes. He fixes a glare onto his face and storms over to Chanyeol, who’s busy talking to a customer. He waits patiently, hands on his hips, as Chanyeol eventually finishes his conversation and the customer walks away.</p><p>Chanyeol’s smile quickly turns into a worried look, and he takes a step back. “What’s wrong?”</p><p>“Why did I hear that you broke up with your boyfriend from a coworker instead of you?”</p><p>Chanyeol opens his mouth, but quickly rethinks answering. He peeks around and notices another worker nearby, so he grabs Baekhyun’s forearm and drags him around the end of the aisle so that they’re away from curious ears.</p><p>He smiles, “News really travels fast around here.” He winces at Baekhyun’s unamused expression and hurries to explain himself. “I told one person, who I didn’t think would run and tell the whole store.”</p><p>“When did it happen? Why? You didn’t do this because of me did you?” Baekhyun’s thoughts are running so fast he’s having trouble keeping up with them. “Did I do this?”</p><p>“Baekhyun,” he grabs one of Baekhyun’s shoulders, “Baekhyun, no. No. I mean, not entirely.”</p><p>Baekhyun huffs and steps back out of Chanyeol’s reach, disgusted in himself for knowingly butting in where he doesn’t belong.</p><p>“Look, it-it’s been a long time coming. I’ve been unhappy for a really long time and you…you just—” Chanyeol sighs and grunts in frustration. Why can’t he seem to get a comprehensible sentence out? He takes a deep breath and composes himself. “Baekhyun, I didn’t break up with him because of you. I did it because he treats me like shit and you made me realize I deserve better than that.”</p><p>“Really?”</p><p>“And, I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to think exactly what you think right now.” He looks around again to see if they’re still alone in the aisle. “I do like you and, sure, it would be fun to see where things could go. But, I didn’t break up with him just so I could come ask you out immediately.”</p><p>“Oh,” Baekhyun’s looking at his feet. Chanyeol knew exactly what he was thinking and cleared it all up without him even having to talk.</p><p>“That’s why I didn’t tell you.” He grins at the way Baekhyun is childishly avoiding eye contact. “Feel better now?”</p><p>“Yes,” Baekhyun pouts, but when he looks up to meet Chanyeol’s eyes he smiles. He would consider himself lucky under different circumstances; Chanyeol is such a sweet, amazing person. “I should get back to my register.”</p><p>Chanyeol raises his eyebrows, “You’re not on break right now?”</p><p>Baekhyun giggles and backs away, turning around only after he watches Chanyeol smile and shake his head at him.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh my god!” Baekhyun shouts at Jongin on the couch, who doesn’t even bother to look up from his book. “Guess what happened at work today.”</p><p>“You know I’m not going to, just tell me,” Jongin says as Baekhyun sits impossibly close beside him.</p><p>“Chanyeol broke up with his boyfriend.”</p><p>“At work?”</p><p>Baekhyun rolls his eyes and slaps his brother on the arm. “No, idiot. I found out about it at work.”</p><p>“Oh,” Jongin chuckles. “So, what, are you guys gonna like…date now? Or?”</p><p>“I…” Baekhyun makes a face as he stares down at his hands, eyebrows drawn close together in thought. “I don’t know. It would be fun, I guess. He’s awesome.”</p><p>“But?”</p><p>“Well, but, he literally just broke up with his boyfriend that he’s been with for like 12 years. I don’t think it would be right. Right?” He looks to Jongin hoping for an answer. “Right?”</p><p>Jongin sighs, setting his book down on the table; he knows he won’t be getting back to it any time soon.</p><p>“Do you like him?” Baekhyun nods. “Does he like you?” Another nod. “So then, what’s so wrong about it?”</p><p>“Well, he’s—”</p><p>“Single. He’s single, Baekhyun.” He takes a handful of Baekhyun’s hair and shakes his head around. “You’re both adults. You make each other happy. If he’s ready and wants to date you, then I say fuck it. Go for it.”</p><p>“You don’t think that it—”</p><p>“Baekhyun,” Jongin cuts in again, “all you’ve talked about for the last month is Chanyeol. About how much he makes you laugh. How much fun you guys have together.” He leans forward and snatches his book off the table, opening it to the page he was on before Baekhyun barged in. “If he’s anything like how you’ve explained him to me, I say you’d be an idiot to let the opportunity slip away.”</p><p>Baekhyun nods and stands when Jongin begins reading again. He makes his way slowly to his bedroom but stops in the doorway, turning back to his brother on the couch. “Jongin? I love you.”</p><p>Jongin chuckles, but doesn’t look over. “Love you too, kid. Go text your manager now.”</p><p> </p><p>Baekhyun is sweating like he’d just run two miles. Really, he’s just sitting at a table in the café area at work waiting for Chanyeol to join him on his break. After Jongin’s little pep talk the night before, he’d made the decision to give the decision up to Chanyeol.</p><p>He looks up from the game he’s playing on his phone just in time to see Chanyeol come from around the corner with a smile. He pushes his bag of random groceries over to make room for Chanyeol to spread his lunch out across the table. He didn’t really want anything, but he figured it would make it look less like he specifically came here to see Chanyeol if he bought something.</p><p>“So, what’s up?” Chanyeol asks as he bites into a sandwich. “Miss me already?”</p><p>Baekhyun chuckles, but it’s obviously nervous and he can tell that Chanyeol can tell. But, he refuses to let his nerves take away his flirtatious personality. “Something like that,” he teases, but he quickly straightens his back and clears his throat. “I would like you to take me,” he pauses to check their surroundings, there’s no one near them, “on a date,” he whispers.</p><p>Chanyeol stops chewing and swallows slowly, each shocked blink of his eyes raising Baekhyun’s heart rate that much more. He wipes crumbs from around his mouth with a napkin and sits back with a sigh.</p><p>“Baekhyun, I don’t know…”</p><p>Baekhyun can hear it in his head, he can hear himself laughing and shouting ‘Haha I totally got you! I’m just joking’. But, he doesn’t say anything, he just stares at Chanyeol, who just stares at him. If anyone is watching them right now, they probably look super weird just staring and not speaking to each other.</p><p>Then, Chanyeol cracks a huge smile and pushes his little paper tray of tater tots toward Baekhyun. “I don’t even know where to take a young, hip guy like you out for a date.”</p><p>Baekhyun takes a tater tot and pops it into his mouth, eager to use chewing as a way to hide his cheesy grin. He swallows and licks his lips, biting into the bottom one because he’s still embarrassed about how happy his face must look.</p><p>“You can take me anywhere.”</p><p>He smiles, and Chanyeol smiles. And Baekhyun can feel his cheeks turning red because he shouldn’t be so happy about this; he technically broke up a relationship. But, the way Chanyeol is looking at him makes him think that, just maybe, it’s okay.</p><p>And maybe, they’ll go out and start dating and fall in love, and no one at work will find out, and things will be perfect.</p><p>“I knew it!”</p><p>Both Baekhyun and Chanyeol whip their heads toward the voice, and Baekhyun has to physically stop himself from groaning at the sight of that awful cashier whose name he still hasn’t bothered to learn.</p><p>She puts her hands on her hips and purses her lips into the snottiest face Baekhyun has ever seen. She looks so proud of herself and it makes Baekhyun’s skin crawl.</p><p>“You are so fired,” she spits out, finger pointed toward Chanyeol.</p><p>“No he’s not,” Baekhyun says, voice surprisingly steady. He stands and steps up to the girl, mimicking her sassy pose. “I don’t work here anymore, bitch.”</p><p>He can’t see Chanyeol’s face, but he’s sure it looks just as confused as the girl’s in front of him.</p><p>“What?” she asks, eyes narrowing in displeasure.</p><p>Baekhyun snatches his bag up off the table and crosses his arms over his chest. “I came in for a bit of light shopping, and to tell Chanyeol I’m quitting. Found a better job with people that aren’t so unbearable to be around.”</p><p>The jaw-dropped, offended expression she makes is something Baekhyun will happily remember for years to come. He gives her a final, petty as fuck smile and then turns to Chanyeol. “Call me later,” he whispers in the most suggestive tone he can manage, and walks away, head held high and full of pride.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>One Year Later</p><p> </p><p>“How was work?” Baekhyun leans forward from the lazy position on his back to meet Chanyeol’s kiss halfway. He scoots over on his bed to make room, and shimmies into Chanyeol’s side as he slips under the covers beside him.</p><p>“Annoying.” He leaves it at that and begins running fingers through Baekhyun’s hair, sighing contentedly.</p><p>“Why was it annoying?”</p><p>“You’re not gonna like it,” Chanyeol chuckles. Baekhyun turns onto his stomach so that Chanyeol can run his fingers up and down his back. “I finally found out why that girl was such a bitch to you.”</p><p>At this, Baekhyun perks up, quickly flipping over and sitting up. “Oooh juicy, give me the details.”</p><p>“She had a thing for me. Still does, actually.”</p><p>“It’s been a year, that’s pathetic,” Baekhyun laughs, what a sad girl. “And, you’re gay. Is she stupid?”</p><p>Chanyeol leans over to press a kiss to Baekhyun’s neck, and Baekhyun lets his head fall back to give him more room.</p><p>“That’s not even the best part, though.”</p><p>“Oh, yeah?” Baekhyun asks, only half listening at this point because Chanyeol’s kissing is working wonders on his skin right now.</p><p>“Yeah,” he mumbles against Baekhyun’s neck. He pulls away and takes a deep breath to calm himself down a bit. “Apparently she was asking Sehun what you’re like in bed.”</p><p>Baekhyun grimaces. “What the fuck. Why?”</p><p>“I guess to see what you can do that she can’t,” he says with a roll of his eyes.</p><p>“I can put a dick in your mouth,” he says seriously, and then they both laugh because it’s true.</p><p>Chanyeol grabs at his belt buckle and pretends to undo it. “Right now?” he jokes, and Baekhyun slaps playfully at his hands, but stops to instead wrap his arms around Chanyeol and lean into his chest.</p><p>“It’s so sad that she thinks relationships are only about how good the sex is.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Chanyeol nods, agreeing with Baekhyun. He smirks. “The sex is really good though.”</p><p>Baekhyun giggles and hops up, jumping onto Chanyeol’s lap, knees pressed into the bed on either side of Chanyeol’s thighs. He grabs his face and drags him in for a hot, open-mouthed kiss, nice and sloppy, just the way he likes it.</p><p>“It really is.” He looks down between them, assessing the situation happening in both of their jeans, and then looks up into Chanyeol’s eyes with a devious little grin. “Undo that belt buckle big boy.”</p><p>“Don’t undo that belt buckle just yet, big boy,” Jongin says as he steps into the room with a hand over his eyes. He spreads his fingers a bit to take a peek, and sighs in relief that no one is naked.</p><p>“Jongin!” Baekhyun yells, motioning between himself and Chanyeol.</p><p>“Baekhyun,” Jongin mocks, “maybe shut the door next time if you don’t want me walking in on you.”</p><p>“That’s a very fair point,” Chanyeol says, and Baekhyun huffs and rolls off of his lap to pout beside him.</p><p>“I hate that you two get along so well.”</p><p>Jongin leans against the doorway and sticks his tongue out. “You should be happy I get along with your boyfriend.”</p><p>“No! Because you guys just gang up together and tease me all the time.”</p><p>“You love us, don’t lie,” Jongin sneers.</p><p>“What did you even come in here for?”</p><p>“Oh, right. The food I ordered just got here and I wanted to ask if you guys were hungry.”</p><p>Baekhyun turns to look at Chanyeol. “I could eat.”</p><p>“Yeah, I could eat too,” Chanyeol agrees.</p><p>“Well then,” Jongin says, “please join me in the living room for some DoorDashed chicken nuggets and fries.”</p><p>Jongin exits the room and Baekhyun quickly settles himself back on Chanyeol’s lap. He presses a quick kiss to his lips but doesn’t pull away. “We’ll finish this later,” he whispers, punctuating his promise with a quick squeeze to Chanyeol’s dick through his pants.</p><p>“Not fair!” Chanyeol yells after Baekhyun, who’s already up and running toward the living room giggling. He gets up to make his way toward the smell of greasy food, but is stopped by Baekhyun running back into the room and crashing into him, wrapping both arms around his waist.</p><p>Baekhyun stares up at Chanyeol with a smile until Chanyeol asks him what he’s looking at. He gets up onto his tiptoes and gives Chanyeol a quick kiss. “I love you.”</p><p>“I love you too,” Chanyeol says, and then Baekhyun lets go and turns to exit the room again, but not before yelping when Chanyeol lands a hard slap to his ass.</p><p>“Play nice you two,” Jongin shouts from the couch.</p><p>And, Baekhyun turns to look at Chanyeol as he continues walking backward. “Yeah, play nice Chanyeol.”</p><p>Chanyeol glares playfully and charges at Baekhyun, catching him before he can run, and picking him up to throw him over his shoulder. “You’re gonna get it later, young man.”</p><p>“Oh, grandpa, stop it. You’re turning me on!”</p><p>They both laugh and poke fun at each other until they squeeze onto the small couch with Jongin, taking the offered food and sitting back to watch whatever movie Jongin was in the middle of.</p><p>Baekhyun curls up against Chanyeol and sighs, content and happy, and he laces their fingers together; his hand is much smaller than Chanyeol’s. He can’t help but glance over at Chanyeol every now and then, happy to be here with him. Happy that Chanyeol is happy.</p><p>But really, he’s just grateful for the arcade, and the bar, and quitting his job, and knowing that he’s the reason Chanyeol is finally happy.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And if you must know, the real life version of Baekhyun and Chanyeol are still together. And soon to be celebrating our one year anniversary! <br/>I also just realized that as I’m posting this, it’s been exactly one year since we went on that arcade date in real life! Hope you had as much fun reading this as I did writing it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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